Bangladesh T20 World Cup Participation Highlights: Bangladesh T20WC dreams over; Scotland set to replace them

No, Bangladesh have featured in each of the nine previous edition of the ICC T20 World Cup, including in India in 2016. The 2026 edition, thus, will be the first to not include the Bangla Tigers.

They had reached the Super 8s in the inaugural edition in 2007 as well as the most recent edition in 2024, and had progressed till the second round four consecutive times from 2014 to 2022.

1996 World Cup: Australia and West Indies refuse to travel to Sri Lanka, who were co-hosting the tournament along with India and Pakistan.

2003 World Cup: England and New Zealand refuse to travel to Zimbabwe and Kenya respectively – the two nations co-hosting the tournament along with South Africa.

2009 World T20: Zimbabwe refuse to travel to England, withdraw from entire tournament.

2016 U-19 World Cup: Australia refuse to travel to Bangladesh, withdraw from entire tournament.

2025 Champions Trophy: India refuse to travel to Pakistan, play their matches in UAE

It’s past midnight here in India, and with the UAE only an hour-and-a-half behind, it’s highly unlikely the Dubai-based governing body will be taking a leaf out of the BCCI’s book and make such a crucial announcement this late in the day.

Looks like we’ll have to wait for another 12 hours or more before the news comes out. Members of the Scotland cricket team, however, will be filling out paperwork to get an Indian visa already, having already been informed by the Jay Shah-led body as per reports.

Here’s what Asif Nazrul said at the BPL final which took place tonight:

Pakistan Cricket Board had thrown its weight behind Bangladesh, supporting their demand for their matches to be moved out of India, and the Mohsin Naqvi-led board was even reconsidering the Salman Ali Agha-led side’s participation in the tournament amid discussions of the Bangla Tigers being ejected from the tournament.

With Bangladesh having been shown the door by the ICC and BCB refusing to budge from their stance, will Pakistan follow Bangladesh in boycotting the T20 World Cup?

Despite the fact that they have been linked to the T20 World Cup as Bangladesh’s replacement, Cricket Scotland is yet to officially acknowledge the situation.

“We cannot comment on this developing situation. If the circumstances change, we will issue an official media release on our website,” said Cricket Scotland head of communications Charles Paterson told PTI on Thursday.

With the Bangladesh Cricket Board refusing to send the Litton Das-led squad to India for the T20 World Cup due to “safety and security” concerns, Scotland is all set to replace them in Group C as the highest-ranked team that isn’t part of the tournament yet.

Scotland had missed three consecutive editions from 2010 to 2014, and had failed to qualify for the 10th edition that gets underway next month after finishing behind Netherlands, Italy and Jersey in the European Qualifier.

According to an anonymous member of the Bangladesh team quoted by Cricbuzz, the BCB had already made up its mind before meeting with the Litton Das-led squad for the T20 World Cup, making the opinion of the players’ themselves unnecessary.

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The meeting was called not to give our consent as it was made out to be initially. Rather, we were called so that we are aware of the development in the ongoing crisis. They made up their mind and decided what they will do before coming into the meeting, and it’s not like any decision was taken taking our views into consideration.

“They didn’t ask. They made the plan directly and said it’s not happening. Earlier, they would sit with us and hear us out. But now, they’ve already said we’re not going,” he said. “The thing is, Bangladesh’s government call was already made and nothing else but that’s the real story. It was a direct order from the government – it’s not happening,” the player said in the report.

According to Cricbuzz, Bangladesh T20I captain Litton Das and Test captain Najmul Hossain Shanto had conveyed to the Bangladesh Cricket Board that the team was ready to play their T20 World Cup matches in India.

The Aminul Islam Bulbul-led board, however, wasn’t on the same page as the players, and that might have something to do with the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government and the anti-India stance that they have adopted since rising to power in August 2024.

Scotland, the team reportedly set to replace Bangladesh in the upcoming T20 World Cup, have made six previous appearances in ICC’s showpiece T20 event. Here’s a summary of how they’ve fared till date:

2007: Group Stage

2009: Group Stage

2016: Group Stage

2021: Super 12s

2022: Group Stage

2024: Group Stage

Bangladesh Cricket Board had written to ICC demanding their request of shifting their T20 World Cup matches be heard by the independent dispute resolution committee of the global body. However, since it is not a forum to appeal, things might not go in Bangladesh’s favour at all.

Jay Shah, the ICC Chairman, is currently in Dubai and we can soon have some official word on this issue.

Here’s what Vikrant Gupta is saying regarding the matter:

The current T20 World Cup groups are as follows:

Group A: India, USA, Namibia, Netherlands, Pakistan
Group B: Australia, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Ireland, Oman
Group C: England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Italy, Nepal
Group D: South Africa, New Zealand, Afghanistan, Canada, UAE

If Scotland replace Bangladesh, it will be a straight swap in Group C.

As per the current schedule, Bangladesh play their matches as follows:

• Feb 7: Bangladesh vs West Indies in Kolkata
• Feb 9: Bangladesh vs Italy in Kolkata
• Feb 14: Bangladesh vs England in Kolkata
• Feb 17: Bangladesh vs Nepal in Mumbai

Bangladesh players were not allowed to share their views in the meeting with the government on Thursday.

“The meeting was called not to give our consent as it was made out to be initially. Rather, we were called so that we are aware of the development in the ongoing crisis. They made up their mind and decided what they will do before coming into the meeting, and it’s not like any decision was taken taking our views into consideration,” said a player to Cricbuzz on condition of anonymity.

“There is no scope to change our decision. We are not giving up yet. Our team is ready, and we still hope that the ICC will deliver justice. We want the ICC to take our genuine security risk into consideration and allow us to play in Sri Lanka,” Nazrul said after a meeting with the players.

“There has been no change in the security risk situation regarding playing in India at present. This concern is not based on any abstract or hypothetical idea; rather, it stems from a real incident in which the Indian cricket board failed to provide security to one of our top players [Mustafizur Rahman] under pressure from extremists, and he was asked to leave India.

“Since the Indian cricket board is effectively an extended arm of the government and could not ensure the safety of even a single player, no assurance has been given by the ICC or the Indian government that they would be able to guarantee the security of our entire team, journalists, and spectators,” he added.

“Let me tell you clearly. It is the government’s decision not to play in India due to security concerns.”