In a dramatic late change to the upcoming Men’s T20 World Cup, Scotland has been confirmed as a replacement for Bangladesh, which has withdrawn from the tournament over a dispute regarding match locations.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board had sought to move its scheduled group-stage fixtures out of India, citing unspecified safety concerns, and requested they be played in co-host nation Sri Lanka instead. Tournament organizers, the International Cricket Council, rejected the request, stating that relocating matches at this stage was not practical and that no verifiable security threat had been identified.
With Bangladesh refusing to participate under the existing schedule, the ICC has moved to fill the vacancy. Scotland, as the highest-ranked T20 International side not already qualified, has been awarded the place. The team will now compete in Group C alongside England, West Indies, Italy, and Nepal.
The tournament is set to begin on February 7th. Scotland’s inclusion sets up a high-profile group-stage encounter with neighboring England.