ICC drops Bangladesh from T20 World Cup, Scotland named replacement

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has dropped Bangladesh from the upcoming T20 World Cup and brought in Scotland as their replacement after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) refused to send its team to India, citing security concerns, as per reports by PTI.

Scotland’s inclusion ends weeks of uncertainty after the BCB repeatedly demanded that their matches be shifted to Sri Lanka and even suggested swapping their group with Ireland. However, the Irish Cricket Board firmly rejected the proposal.

At an ICC Board meeting, Bangladesh were strongly pushed to travel to India, with the decision passing by a 14-2 vote in favour of the ‘Tigers’ playing their matches in India. The ICC then gave the BCB a 24-hour deadline to confirm its participation, but Bangladesh Sports Ministry advisor Asif Nazrul remained adamant in his refusal.

As a result, Bangladesh’s hopes of playing in the T20 World Cup came to an end.

It has been learnt that senior ICC officials, including chairman Jay Shah, were in Dubai on Friday. Later that evening, an email was sent to BCB chairman Aminul Islam Bulbul informing him of the ICC’s decision.

“An e-mail was sent last evening to Bangladesh Cricket Board chairman intimating him that his board didn't get back to ICC officially after the 24 hour deadline that was given to them to decide if they wanted to come to India,” an ICC source told PTI on condition of anonymity.

“The BCB did a press conference in Dhaka before officially intimating the global body which is a violation of protocol. They have been categorically told that they are being replaced. Scotland is the new team in the World Cup.”

The ICC also informed all participating member nations separately about Bangladesh being dropped from the tournament.

Despite repeated assurances from the ICC, Bangladesh Sports Ministry advisor Asif Nazrul advised against the team travelling to India, citing security concerns. This was despite the mandatory independent security assessment rating the threat level for Bangladesh as “low to moderate,” the same as for other teams.

Nazrul, described as an anti-India hardliner, issued a directive as a representative of the interim government that the team would not be allowed to travel. Sources said a meeting between Nazrul and the national players turned into a one-way communication, with the advisor informing them they would not be permitted to take part in the tournament.

The BCB also made a last-ditch attempt by approaching the ICC’s Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC). However, the move failed as the committee is not authorised to hear appeals against decisions taken by the ICC Board of Directors.

Scotland will now play their four group league matches against West Indies on February 7, Italy on February 9, and England on February 14 in Kolkata, followed by a game against Nepal in Mumbai on February 17.

Financial blow for BCB

The decision is expected to have serious financial consequences for the Bangladesh Cricket Board. The BCB will lose the USD 500,000 participation fee that each team receives for playing in the tournament.

More significantly, the board risks losing its annual revenue share from the ICC, which amounts to nearly USD 27 million (around 330 crore BDT). This accounts for close to 60 per cent of the BCB’s yearly budget.

The board will also lose sponsorship revenue linked to the tournament. Additionally, with India now unlikely to tour Bangladesh for a bilateral series, the BCB stands to lose income equivalent to hosting nearly 10 bilateral series against other nations.

The only legal option left for the BCB is to approach the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne. However, even if a case is filed, the T20 World Cup will continue as scheduled.

(With inputs from PTI)