Scotland have officially accepted an invitation to take part in the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, replacing Bangladesh in the global tournament scheduled to begin on February 7 across India and Sri Lanka. The decision was confirmed on Saturday after the International Cricket Council finalised Scotland as the replacement side following Bangladesh’s refusal to compete under the existing schedule.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board had raised objections to playing their league-stage matches in India and requested that their fixtures be shifted to Sri Lanka, citing security concerns after fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman was released from the Indian Premier League 2026. However, the ICC declined the request, bringing an end to weeks of uncertainty surrounding Bangladesh’s participation.
ICC Decision Ends Uncertainty
The ICC’s call closes a prolonged standoff in which the BCB repeatedly pushed for a change in venues and even explored the possibility of swapping groups with Ireland. With Bangladesh opting out, Scotland emerged as the next-highest ranked T20I side that had narrowly missed out on direct qualification.
Ranked 14th in the world, Scotland currently sit above several teams already competing in the tournament, including Namibia, Nepal, the UAE, USA, Canada, Oman, and Italy. Their return to the T20 World Cup also revives a familiar storyline, as Scotland had previously featured in the 2009 edition in England after Zimbabwe withdrew for political reasons.
“I welcomed a call from ICC Chair Jay Shah earlier today confirming that Scotland will receive an invitation to play at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. I was pleased to accept on behalf of our team, who are willing and ready to go. We thank the ICC for this opportunity and look forward to competing with some of the best sides in the world in India in the coming weeks,” said Wilf Walsh, Cricket Scotland Chair, in a statement.
Group C Challenge And Preparation Plans
Scotland will compete in Group C, where they are set to face England, Italy, Nepal, and the West Indies. Three of their group matches will be held in Kolkata, with one fixture scheduled in Mumbai. Cricket Scotland confirmed that the men’s squad has already been in training for several weeks due to upcoming tours and will now travel to India immediately to adapt to local conditions ahead of the tournament. Squad selection details are expected to be announced shortly.
“Earlier today, I received correspondence from the ICC asking if our men’s team would play at the Men’s T20 World Cup, and we have accepted. We are grateful to the ICC for extending this invitation. This is an exciting opportunity for Scotland’s players to compete on the global stage in front of millions of supporters.”
“We also acknowledge that this opportunity has arisen out of challenging and unique circumstances. Our squad have been training for some weeks in preparation for upcoming tours and are now preparing to arrive in India imminently to acclimatise to local conditions, ready to play and contribute to what should be a fantastic ICC Men’s T20 World Cup,” said Trudy Lindblade, Cricket Scotland Chief Executive.
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