New Delhi is buzzing with cricket drama as Bangladesh teeters on the brink of exclusion from the 2026 T20 World Cup. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has dug in its heels, refusing to send its team to India for matches amid escalating tensions. With the International Cricket Council (ICC) poised to finalize its decision, Scotland stands ready to swoop in and take Bangladesh’s spot.
Pakistan, ever vocal in such disputes, isn’t letting this slide. Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Najam Sethi has thrown his weight behind PCB’s current leadership, urging other cricket boards worldwide to rally against what he sees as India’s undue influence in the ICC. Sethi praised PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi’s deep understanding of the game, confident that whatever stance Pakistan takes will be spot on.
The root of the conflict traces back to security concerns cited by BCB. After the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) ordered the release of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, BCB retaliated by boycotting the World Cup trip. Bangladesh even banned IPL broadcasts domestically, heightening the standoff. BCB formally requested shifting their group games to Sri Lanka, but ICC rejected it outright.
In a voting among ICC board members, only Pakistan supported Bangladesh. Sethi called for a united front, arguing that collective pushback could remind the ICC it’s an international body, not an Indian one. ‘If more nations join Pakistan in solidarity, the ICC will have to look beyond India’s sway,’ he asserted.
With the T20 World Cup just weeks away, the impasse threatens to overshadow the tournament. ICC sources hint at an imminent announcement naming Scotland as replacement. As Sethi rallies support, the cricket world watches to see if other boards will heed his call or let Bangladesh face isolation.