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Scotland Cricket hasn’t been contacted by the ICC over replacing Bangladesh on the 2026 T20 World Cup.

Scotland cricket team.
(@CricketScotland/X)
With the impasse between the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB over Bangladesh’s place on the 2026 T20 World Cup extending to a 3rd week, attention has turned to contingency planning. If the Bangladesh Cricket Board ultimately decides against sending a team, the ICC can be required to fill the vacant slot. Scotland are reportedly being viewed as probably the most eligible option.
Nevertheless, there was no official movement. In accordance with BBC Sport, the ICC has not contacted Cricket Scotland, nor has the Scottish board made any approach of its own. The report said Officials in Scotland are deliberately keeping their distance ‘out of respect to their counterparts’ at BCB.
The BCB has expressed unease about travelling to India for matches scheduled at venues including Mumbai and Kolkata. As alternatives, Bangladesh asked for his or her group fixtures to be relocated to Sri Lanka, one in all the event’s co-hosts, and later suggested a gaggle switch with Ireland, whose matches are based entirely in Sri Lanka. Each proposals were declined by the ICC when its delegation visited the country recently.
With the World Cup set to start in under three weeks, Bangladesh have yet to publicly confirm whether they’ll participate. Nor has the ICC outlined how it will select a substitute under the present qualification structure.
Up to now, political withdrawals have prompted last-minute inclusions, most notably in 2009, when Scotland were added after Zimbabwe pulled out. Nevertheless, the trendy T20 World Cup operates under a revised system, featuring 20 teams and region-based qualification, leaving the method less clearly defined should a late emptiness arise.
Scotland sit next in line based on rating position amongst non-qualified teams. The team narrowly missed direct qualification last yr, ending outside the highest two within the European pathway, which was claimed by the Netherlands and Italy.
At present, Scotland’s focus stays elsewhere. The squad is preparing for a one-day international tri-series in Windhoek next month, where they’ll face Namibia and Oman.
January 20, 2026, 11:54 IST
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