New Delhi, January 23 – The path for Scotland to take Bangladesh’s spot in the 2026 T20 World Cup is now virtually clear. While an official written confirmation from the ICC remains pending, the moment that release drops, Scotland’s entry into the tournament will be sealed.
According to reports, the ICC has exhausted its patience with Bangladesh’s delays and is moving swiftly to include Scotland. The ICC Board has already voted on the matter, leaving little room for any last-minute emotional appeals.
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) chief Aminul Islam hinted at hoping for a ‘last-minute miracle,’ but the situation has progressed far beyond the point where optimism could be mistaken for strategy.
The ICC had set a firm deadline of January 21 for the BCB to confirm whether the Bangladesh team would travel to India for the World Cup. Previously, the ICC rejected Bangladesh’s request to shift their matches from India to Sri Lanka. In a board meeting, no country except Pakistan supported Bangladesh’s stance on boycotting the event in India.
Post-meeting, Bangladesh was given just 24 hours to decide. They were explicitly warned that failure to participate would result in Scotland stepping in.
On Thursday, following advice from the Bangladesh government, the BCB announced it would not send the team to India. Government sports advisor Asif Nazrul stated, ‘The decision not to play in India was made by the government. The assurances from the ICC were insufficient since the board doesn’t represent its own country.’
Nazrul referenced a past incident where, despite security promises, a Bangladeshi player was not kept safe, fueling their concerns.
With Bangladesh opting out, Scotland’s participation in this global showdown is now a certainty. The cricket world awaits only the ICC’s formal announcement, rendering any hopes of a turnaround for Bangladesh futile.