The ICC T20 World Cup is just days away. The ongoing tussle between the International Cricket Council and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has not yet ended. The uncertainty surrounding Bangladesh’s participation in the 2026 T20 World Cup has now reached its third week. If Bangladesh ultimately decides not to send its team to India, the ICC will have to include a replacement team.
Scotland to play T20 World Cup 2026?
According to media reports, Scotland is considered the strongest and most viable option in this situation. However, no official statement has been issued on this matter yet. Scotland has responded to reports of replacing Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup.
Read More: Rohit Sharma Retirement: Flop show in IND vs NZ causes speculations about Rohit’s retirement
According to BBC Sport, “The International Cricket Council has not yet contacted Cricket Scotland, nor has the Scottish board itself made any attempt to step forward. The report also states that Scottish officials are deliberately maintaining a distance to show respect to their colleagues in the Bangladesh Cricket Board.”
Read More: Why Saina Nehwal retired from badminton? Know the real reasons
The Bangladesh Cricket Board has expressed concerns about traveling to India to play matches in cities like Mumbai and Kolkata. Therefore, Bangladesh suggested that its group matches be held in Sri Lanka, a co-host of the tournament. Furthermore, Bangladesh proposed switching groups with Ireland so that all of its matches could be played in Sri Lanka. However, when an International Cricket Council delegation recently visited Bangladesh, both suggestions were rejected.
Read More: IND vs NZ T20 squad change, another injury before T20 World Cup 2026
With less than three weeks remaining before the World Cup, the Bangladesh Cricket Board has yet to publicly confirm whether the team will participate in the tournament. The ICC has also not clarified which team will be selected in Bangladesh’s place under the current qualification system and by what process.
Read More: Tilak Varma injury update: Good news for Team India ahead of T20 World Cup 2026
Scotland currently leads the rankings among the non-qualified teams. Last year, they narrowly missed out on direct qualification, as the top two spots in the European route were taken by the Netherlands and Italy. Currently, Scotland’s focus is elsewhere, and the team is preparing for an ODI tri-series in Windhoek next month, where they will face Namibia and Oman.
