‘ICC should build bridges, not burn them’: Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Yousuf react after Bangladesh thrown out of T20 World Cup

Former Pakistan captains Shahid Afridi and Mohammad Yousuf have criticised the ICC’s decision to exclude Bangladesh from the 2026 T20 World Cup, calling it unfair and inconsistent.

Afridi expressed his disappointment on X, saying that he is “deeply disappointed” by ICC’s action. Afridi pointed out how ICC accepted India’s security concerns for not touring Pakistan in 2025, but did not apply the same understanding to Bangladesh.

“As a former international cricketer who has played in Bangladesh and in ICC events, I’m deeply disappointed by today’s ICC’s inconsistency. It accepted India’s security concerns for not touring Pakistan in 2025, yet appears unwilling to apply the same understanding to Bangladesh. Consistency and fairness are the foundation of global cricket governance. Bangladesh’s players and millions of its fans deserve respect - not mixed standards. The ICC should build bridges, not burn them,” he wrote.

Yousuf also weighed in, saying Bangladesh’s cricket fans were being “deprived of cricket” due to security concerns. He said standards cannot change from country to country and ICC must act as a global body rather than serving the interests of a single board.

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“Very sad to see a cricket-loving nation like Bangladesh being deprived of cricket due to security concerns not being addressed. When similar concerns were raised earlier, a neutral venue was approved. Standards cannot change from country to country. ICC must act as the International Cricket Council, not appear to serve the interests of any single board. Fairness and consistency are the foundation of global cricket,” he posted.

Why was the Bangladesh team replaced? 

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has accepted the ICC’s decision and said it will not challenge it further. Pakistan, on the other hand, has entered the discussion, with PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi threatening to boycott the World Cup in support of Bangladesh. Naqvi said Pakistan’s final decision would be made at the government level after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif returns from his foreign visit.

Bangladesh’s removal from the tournament followed their refusal to play matches in India over security concerns. The issue escalated after the release of Mustafizur Rahman from the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) IPL 2026 squad. The BCB requested the ICC to move all Bangladesh matches to Sri Lanka, but talks failed to reach a solution.

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Despite multiple meetings and discussions with ICC officials and a vote against them, Bangladesh did not agree to participate under the original schedule. The ICC then officially replaced Bangladesh with Scotland on January 24. Scotland have been slotted into Group C alongside England, West Indies, Nepal, and Italy.