On Saturday (January 24), Bangladesh forfeited its participation in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. With Scotland being named as the replacement, several former cricketers and officials slammed the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Making use of this situation, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has portrayed itself as the best supporter of Bangladesh by questioning the ICC’s double standards.
Meanwhile, the World Cricket Association (WCA) opened up about Bangladesh’s exit from the tournament and the existing issues of the sport at the global level.
‘Unite the sport, not divide it’: WCA Chief Executive
Tom Moffat, the chief executive of the WCA, voiced his opinion about Bangladesh’s absence from the international T20 tournament:
“See! Instead of dividing or allowing exclusion, it is important for the game’s leader to collaborate with all influential parties, including governing authorities, leagues, and players. This is an important step to unite the sports rather than dividing them.
The current situation points out the prevailing issues with the game’s operating model at the international level. This could impact the future of the sport that we love extremely.
We promise to extend support to Bangladesh players who missed out on a golden opportunity to compete on a global stage, as well as to their association, the Cricket Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB).
Also, we reaffirm with our commitments in working effectively with the BCB and involved parties to strengthen and develop the sport at the international level,” Moffat said.
‘Build Bridges and Not Burn Them’: Pakistan’s Former Captain
Pakistani ex-skipper Shahid Afridi took to his social media account, pointing out the unfairness shown by the global governing body in such crunch situations:
“See! Being a former international cricketer, I feel disappointed on behalf of those players who played in Bangladesh and ICC events.
It’s absolutely frustrating with the inconsistency shown by the ICC. They accepted India’s security threats by not traveling to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025. However, the same doesn’t apply to Bangladesh.
Not only the Bangladesh fans, but also millions of fans deserve respect instead of mixed standards. Most importantly, equity and consistency form the core foundation of cricket governance at the international level.
Hereafter, the ICC should focus on how to build formidable bridges and not burn them with ease,” Afridi wrote on his X handle.
Jason Gillespie’s Direct Comparison with Champions Trophy 2025 Scenario
Former Australian pacer Jason Gillespie, who earlier served as the head coach of the Pakistan men’s cricket team, demanded a proper explanation from the ICC for not allowing Bangladesh to play matches outside India.
Here is what the 50-year-old mentioned in his deleted post on social media:
“Why? Does ICC have any proper explanation for rejecting Bangladesh’s request to shift matches to a neutral venue? What is wrong with playing outside of India due to its current situation?
Recollecting those memories, India refused to play its Champions Trophy 2025 matches in Pakistan, citing security concerns in the nation. However, their matches were shifted to a neutral venue in Dubai. Can someone explain if it makes any sense or not???” Gillespie questioned.
Former BCB Secretary Criticized Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup Withdrawal
Suyed Ashraful Haque, the former general secretary of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), slammed the decision taken by the nation’s government and cricket board. He strongly stated that Bangladesh unnecessarily played its role in this matter:
“No! It was not the right decision for Bangladesh to withdraw from the T20 World Cup. Just because a Bangladeshi player was excluded from the Indian Premier League (IPL) in India, there was no need for the government to take such an unusual move.
The BCB has indeed overplayed its role by not participating in the T20 World Cup. As ICC tournaments were well planned, there was no possibility of relocating the matches on short notice,” Haque said.
Conclusion
Scotland was named to replace Bangladesh as it was the highest-ranked non-qualified team that narrowly missed out on qualification in the T20 World Cup European Qualifier. Also, the nation’s cricket board expressed its willingness to travel to India.
BCB tried its best, submitting multiple requests to the ICC. Unfortunately, Bangladesh lost its plea to relocate the matches. Also, during the ICC Board meeting, a 14-2 voting margin favored India to host Bangladesh’s matches, with Pakistan being the lone supporter of the cause.
Despite announcing the replacement, the absence of a full-member nation like Bangladesh could be a huge blow to the international T20 event.
However, ICC continues to get questioned by the officials and former players for its impartiality, citing the previous examples of how India’s fixtures were relocated from Pakistan to a neutral venue due to the same reason.