BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla made the statement after the International Cricket Council officially confirmed that Scotland would replace Bangladesh in the upcoming tournament.
The ICC’s decision, announced on Saturday, January 24, 2026, ended a week-long discussion between the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the global governing body. Bangladesh’s withdrawal was caused by the Bangladesh government’s refusal to allow the national team to travel to India.
“We wanted Bangladesh to play and we also assured complete safety but since they took this decision, it is very difficult to change the entire fixture list at the last minute. This is the reason why Scotland was called in,” Rajeev Shukla said as quoted by India Today.
Tensions had earlier escalated after BCCI IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders reportedly ordered to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman for the 2026 season, citing unspecified ‘recent developments’. The BCB interpreted this move as an indication that Indian authorities may not be able to guarantee the safety of Bangladeshi nationals.
The ICC then conducted an extensive consultation process with the BCB, involving multiple rounds of discussions over a period of more than three weeks. The discussions were held both virtually and in person, with the ICC maintaining that the engagement at all stages was transparent and constructive.
As part of the process, the ICC investigated the concerns raised by the BCB and commissioned independent safety assessments involving both internal and external experts. It also shared detailed security and operational plans with federal and state regulations, along with enhanced and phased security measures for the event.
Such assurances were reiterated at various stages of the process, including consultations with the board of the ICC Business Corporation (IBC). The ICC assessments found that there was no credible or verifiable security threat to the Bangladesh national team, its officials or its supporters in India.
After reviewing the findings and assessing the wider implications, the ICC decided not to make any changes to the published schedule. The governing body underlined the importance of maintaining the integrity of the tournament, ensuring fairness for all teams and fans, and avoiding precedents that could weaken the impartial nature of ICC events.
After Wednesday’s meeting, the IBC board asked the BCB to confirm Bangladesh’s participation in the tournament within 24 hours. In the absence of confirmation within the deadline, the ICC proceeded to identify a replacement party based on its established governance and qualifications framework.
Scotland was selected as a replacement, as they were the highest ranked T20I side who had not originally qualified for the tournament. They are currently ranked 14th in the ICC T20I standings, ahead of several teams already participating in the competition, including Namibia, United Arab Emirates, Nepal, United States of America, Canada, Oman and Italy.
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