By The South Asia Times

DUBAI - The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Saturday has announced that Scotland will replace Bangladesh at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) declined to play in India due to security reason.

The decision was formally confirmed, with Scotland drafted into Group C, where they will compete alongside England, Italy, Nepal and the West Indies.

According to the ICC, Bangladesh’s withdrawal followed its refusal to play scheduled matches in India, citing security concerns. The BCB had requested that its fixtures be shifted to Sri Lanka, a co-host of the tournament, but the ICC rejected the proposal after conducting extensive security assessments.

In a statement, the ICC said it had engaged in “transparent and constructive” dialogue with the BCB for more than three weeks, including multiple virtual and in-person meetings.

The process included reviews of concerns raised by Bangladesh, independent security assessments by internal and external experts, and detailed briefings on federal and state security arrangements, along with enhanced security protocols for the event.

“The ICC’s assessments concluded that there was no credible or verifiable security threat to the Bangladesh national team, officials or supporters in India,” the statement said, adding that it was not feasible to amend the event schedule so close to the tournament, which begins on February 7, 2026.

Following a meeting earlier this week, the BCB was given 24 hours to confirm whether it would participate as scheduled. When no confirmation was received within the deadline, the ICC said it proceeded in line with its governance and qualification procedures to identify a replacement team.

Scotland, currently ranked 14th in T20 Internationals, were next in line based on rankings after narrowly missing qualification. Their ranking is higher than several other contenders, including Namibia, the United Arab Emirates, Nepal, the United States, Canada, Oman and Italy.

The announcement drew criticism from Pakistan. Earlier on Saturday, Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), said Bangladesh had been treated unfairly and should be allowed to participate in the tournament, according to Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper.

Speaking to reporters in Lahore, Naqvi said Pakistan had raised the issue during ICC meetings and opposed what he described as double standards.

“You cannot have one set of rules for one country and a different one for another,” he said, arguing that Bangladesh deserved the same flexibility afforded under previous hybrid arrangements involving Pakistan and India.

Naqvi said Pakistan’s next steps would depend on instructions from the government, adding that the issue would be reviewed after the prime minister’s return. When asked about a potential boycott, he said multiple options were under consideration.

The development adds fresh uncertainty to the build-up to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, amid growing debate over scheduling, security and governance within international cricket.