After a lot of hue and cry, Bangladesh won’t play T20 World Cup 2026 and ICC have officially replaced them with Scotland, who have also named their squad for the tournament. We try to explain why Scotland replaced Bangladesh after the latter quit.
Why did Scotland replace Bangladesh and not some other team? The answer is simple: Scotland did not replace Bangladesh because of their finishing position at the Europe Qualifiers, but because they were the highest-ranked T20I team not already qualified when Bangladesh refused to travel to India.
Once Bangladesh withdrew and the ICC rejected their request to relocate matches to Sri Lanka, rankings and not qualifier positions became the deciding factor.
Why Bangladesh Were Removed From T20 World Cup 2026
International Cricket Council confirmed Bangladesh’s removal after the Bangladesh Cricket Board formally refused to send the team to India, citing security concerns.
The situation escalated after Kolkata Knight Riders released Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL 2026 squad on instructions from the BCCI, prompting the BCB to ask the ICC to move their World Cup matches out of India. After negotiations failed, the ICC issued an ultimatum and ultimately ruled that there was no “credible or verifiable” security threat that justified changing the tournament schedule.
With Bangladesh unwilling to participate under the existing conditions, the ICC had to identify a replacement.
Why Scotland Replaced Bangladesh At T20 World Cup 2026
This is where confusion among fans arose. At the Europe Regional Final, Scotland finished fourth, behind the Netherlands, Italy, and Jersey. However, qualifier standings were no longer relevant once a qualified team withdrew.
Instead, the ICC applied a pre-defined contingency rule: The replacement would be the highest-ranked men’s T20I team not already qualified for the tournament.
At the time of Bangladesh’s withdrawal, Scotland were ranked 14th in the ICC T20I rankings, higher than several teams already in the competition, including Nepal, UAE, USA, Canada, Oman, Italy and Namibia. Jersey, despite finishing above Scotland at the qualifiers, were ranked lower. That ranking position alone is what earned Scotland the invitation.
“Scotland are the highest-ranked T20I side not to originally qualify for the tournament. They are currently ranked 14th, ahead of seven teams already in the tournament,” the ICC statement read.
Scotland’s Reaction: “Not How We Wanted To Qualify”
Cricket Scotland chief executive Trudy Lindblade acknowledged the unusual nature of the situation and expressed sympathy for Bangladesh’s players.
“This is not how we wanted to go to a World Cup. There is a qualification process and nobody wants to qualify or attend in this way,” she said. “We absolutely feel for the Bangladesh players.”
Lindblade also pushed back against the idea of Scotland qualifying through the “back door”, stressing that their ranking reflected consistent performance over time, not one poor qualifying event.
Scotland Squad For T20 World Cup 2026
Scotland were officially informed of their inclusion only days before the tournament, triggering a rapid logistical scramble involving visas, travel, and squad finalisation. The ICC assured Cricket Scotland that player visas — including for Safyaan Sharif — would be expedited.
The Scotland squad for T20 World Cup 2026 blends experience and fresh faces, led by Richie Berrington, with key names including George Munsey, Brandon McMullen, Mark Watt and Safyaan Sharif. Notably, Scotland narrowly missed the Super 8s at the 2024 T20 World Cup, falling short only on net run rate after competitive performances against Australia and England.
Scotland squad for T20 World Cup 2026: Richie Berrington (c), Tom Bruce, Matthew Cross, Brad Currie, Oli Davidson, Chris Greaves, Zainullah Ihsan, Michael Jones, Michael Leask, Finlay McCreath, Brandon McMullen, George Munsey, Safyaan Sharif, Mark Watt, Brad Wheal.
Travelling reserves: Jasper Davidson, Jack Jarvis. Non-travelling reserves: Mackenzie Jones, Chris McBride, Charlie Tear
Scotland’s entry into the T20 World Cup 2026 was not about outperforming Jersey at qualifiers, but about ICC rankings and tournament contingency rules.
Once Bangladesh declined to play, the ICC followed its framework, and Scotland, as the highest-ranked available team, were next in line.
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