Scotland to Replace Bangladesh if They Skip India

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) remains firm on not sending the team to India for the T20 World Cup due to security concerns. Meanwhile, the ICC is unwilling to change the schedule or venues. This deadlock leaves Bangladesh’s participation uncertain.

According to AFP, if Bangladesh ultimately refuses to play in India, Scotland is ready to take their place, as they are currently the highest-ranked team among those not yet qualified for the World Cup.

The ICC has given the BCB a deadline until Wednesday to make a final decision. Previously, during a meeting in Dhaka, the BCB formally requested moving their matches to co-host Sri Lanka, and even proposed group adjustments with Ireland to ease logistics. The ICC rejected these proposals without compromise.

Bangladesh is in Group C, with all its matches scheduled in Kolkata and Mumbai. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s matches have been shifted to neutral venues in Sri Lanka due to political tensions. Bangladesh has demanded the same consideration.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has expressed full support for Bangladesh, calling their security concerns valid, and has suspended Pakistan’s own World Cup preparations for the time being.

The India issue largely arose from an IPL-related dispute. Following Kolkata Knight Riders releasing Mustafizur Rahman, the situation escalated, leading the Bangladesh government to ban IPL broadcasts domestically, and the BCB formally informed the ICC that they would not play in India.

According to the schedule, Bangladesh’s opening match is on February 7 in Kolkata against the West Indies, followed by matches against England and Italy at the same venue, and the final group game in Mumbai against Nepal. Bangladesh’s World Cup fate will be decided by Wednesday.