ICC Rejects Bangladesh Request to Move Matches, Team Faces T20 World Cup Exit

January 24, 2026:  The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has refused to change its decision about the team’s participation in the upcoming T20 World Cup. Because of this, Scotland may take their place.

Cricket Scotland has been informally informed about the situation, and the final decision from the International Cricket Council (ICC) is still awaited. ICC Chairman Jay Shah was in the Dubai headquarters on Friday, planning the next steps.

Scotland is likely to replace Bangladesh in Group C, which includes England, Italy, Nepal, and the West Indies. Bangladesh was scheduled to play three matches in Kolkata and one in Mumbai.

Bangladesh Could Miss T20 World Cup Over Security Concerns

On Friday, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) wrote to the ICC asking the Dispute Resolution Committee to move Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup matches from India to Sri Lanka. But the appeal is unlikely to succeed.

Clause 1.3 of the Dispute Resolution Committee rules says that the Committee cannot act as an appeal body against ICC decisions. It only checks if decisions are lawful.

On Wednesday, in a board meeting, the ICC rejected Bangladesh’s request by a 14-2 majority. Only Bangladesh and Pakistan voted in favor of moving the matches.

“Bangladesh is on the verge of being excluded from the T20 World Cup. They have the right to play, but they are being excluded,” said Asif Nazrul, Bangladesh government sports adviser, during the Bangladesh Premier League broadcast on Friday.

Players Face Setbacks and Financial Loss

If Bangladesh does not play, it will be a big setback for the team. The T20 World Cup will be held from February 7 to March 8 in India and Sri Lanka. Bangladesh, one of the 12 Test-playing nations, has never missed a T20 World Cup since 2007. Although they often underperform, they reached the Super 8 stage in 2024.

Players will also face financial losses. Teams eliminated in the second round earn $382,500 (about ₹3.25 crore) each. Teams finishing ninth to 12th earn $247,500 (₹2.1 crore), and teams finishing 13th to 20th earn $225,000 (₹1.9 crore). Each match won brings an extra $31,154 (₹26 lakh).

The ICC also pays a participation fee of $300,000 to $500,000 (₹2.5–4.3 crore) to each cricket board.

BCB’s strict stand comes from the country’s interim government, which has refused permission for the national team to travel to India, citing security reasons.

In Indian cricket circles, the BCB’s decision is seen as a reaction after Bangladesh pace bowler Mustafizur Rahman was removed from the Indian Premier League (IPL).

“The Indian government made no effort to convince us or reassure us about safety. That is why we will not change our decision,” Nazrul said on Thursday.

The ICC rejected this connection. “BCB linked its participation to one isolated incident with a player in a domestic league. This has nothing to do with tournament security or participation rules,” the ICC said on Wednesday.