Bangladesh out of T20 World Cup, ICC announces new team

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The International Cricket Council (ICC) has taken a major decision and excluded the Bangladesh cricket team from the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. The ICC has officially confirmed this and also announced that Scotland will replace Bangladesh in the tournament.

According to the ICC, Scotland has been drawn into the same group as Bangladesh. There has been no change to the tournament schedule, only the team name has been changed. Scotland will now play their group matches as scheduled.

According to sources, the ICC had given the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) a deadline to provide a clear position on its participation in the tournament. The decision was made after an official response was not received within the stipulated time. The ICC stated that tournament operations and adherence to international protocols are its top priority.

An ICC source quoted by news agency PTI said that formal confirmation from the BCB was not received even after the deadline, forcing the council to take the tough decision. The ICC also indicated that some procedural rules were not followed. Scotland, which replaced Bangladesh, will now play matches against West Indies, Italy, and England in Kolkata in the group stage, while another match is scheduled against Nepal in Mumbai. Scotland will play its first match on February 7.

After this decision of ICC, there has been a stir in the international cricket world, while this tournament is being considered a big opportunity for Scotland to prove itself.