ICC removed Bangladesh from T20 World Cup 2026 and replaced with Scotland.
Pakistan has expressed doubt about their participation in the T20 World Cup 2026 after the International Cricket Council (ICC) replaced Bangladesh with Scotland in the tournament.
Full timeline of why Bangladesh are not playing in T20 World Cup 2026
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi on Saturday confirmed that a final decision on their participation in the T20 World Cup 2026 will be made only after discussions with the government, raising new concerns just weeks before the event starts. Naqvi’s comments were made soon after the ICC officially replaced Bangladesh with Scotland.
“Our stance on the World Cup will be based on what the Government of Pakistan tells me. The Prime Minister is not in the country right now. Once he returns, we will be able to provide a final decision. It’s the government’s call, not the ICC’s,” Naqvi said in a press conference.
The PCB chairman lambasted the ICC’s decision, accusing the global organisation of unfair practices and calling Bangladesh’s exclusion an injustice. This change occurred after Bangladesh refused to play their scheduled group stage matches in India. Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) didn’t change their stance despite a warning from ICC.
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At an ICC meeting last week, Mohsin Naqvi publicly said Pakistan supports Bangladesh during their conflict over playing their T20 World Cup 2026 matches in India due to security worries.
The issue sparked after the BCCI ordered Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman on January 3 from their IPL 2026 squad amid several diplomatic and political disputes between the two countries.
Clarifying his point, Mohsin Naqvi pointed out that India played all their Champions Trophy 2025 matches in Dubai after they refused to go to Pakistan, which was fine by the ICC. But removing Bangladesh for the same reason is unfair.
“The ICC has been unfair to Bangladesh, and I raised this issue during the board meeting. There can’t be any double standards when it comes to different teams. One side is allowed to set conditions, while the other is pushed aside. Bangladesh deserves to play in the World Cup; they are one of the biggest stakeholders in the game,” Naqvi added.
However, the BCCI had initiated a discussion nearly three months before the start of the Champions Trophy 2025, originally scheduled solely in Pakistan. After multiple discussions, the two cricket boards signed an agreement not to visit the neighbouring country until 2031 for any ICC event, be it men’s or women’s. As a result, India played all their CT 2025 games in Dubai, including the semi-final and final.
For the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026, Pakistan are scheduled to play all their games in Sri Lanka, including the semi-final and final if they qualify.
The BCB-ICC row began just a month before the start of the tournament, making it tough for the broadcasters and fans in terms of logistics and convenience after the last-minute changes.
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