DUBAI — The International Cricket Council (ICC) has given the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) a final 24 hours to consult with the Bangladesh government and confirm whether the national team will travel to India for the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, sources familiar with the matter said.
If Bangladesh maintain their refusal to play in India, citing security concerns, the ICC Board has agreed to replace them with Scotland, based on team rankings, according to people briefed on the decision.
The move was approved at an ICC Board meeting on Wednesday, where a clear majority of directors voted in favour of appointing a replacement should Bangladesh persist with their request to play matches in Sri Lanka instead of India. Of the 15 directors present, only Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) supported the BCB’s position, the sources said.
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The meeting was convened after the PCB wrote to the ICC and other member boards on Tuesday, formally backing Bangladesh’s stance.
The session was attended by representatives of all Full Member nations. Those present included ICC chairman Jay Shah, BCB president Aminul Islam, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Devajit Saikia, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) president Shammi Silva, and PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi.
Also in attendance were Cricket Australia chairman Mike Baird, Zimbabwe Cricket president Tavenga Mukuhlani, Cricket West Indies president Kishore Shallow, Cricket Ireland chair Brian MacNeice, New Zealand Cricket representative Roger Twose, England and Wales Cricket Board chair Richard Thompson, Cricket South Africa representative Mohammed Moosajee, and Afghanistan Cricket Board chairman Mirwais Ashraf.
Associate Member directors Mubashshir Usmani and Mahinda Vallipuram, ICC chief executive Sanjog Gupta, deputy chairman Imran Khawaja, and ICC general manager Gaurav Saxena also took part.
The meeting further included ICC Anti-Corruption Unit head Andrew Ephgrave, who was in Dhaka last week for in-person discussions with the BCB aimed at addressing its security concerns.
The ICC is expected to make a final determination once Bangladesh communicates its decision within the extended deadline.
