Bangladesh Accept ICC Decision, Will Not Challenge Replacement by Scotland at T20 World Cup

Bangladesh Cricket Board have drawn a line under their World Cup dispute with the ICC, confirming they will not pursue any legal or arbitration route after being replaced by Scotland for the 2026 T20 World Cup.

The decision was conveyed in a BCB board meeting in Dhaka, ending days of speculation over whether Bangladesh would challenge the ICC’s ruling through its Dispute Resolution Committee. Amzad Hossain, chairman of the BCB’s media committee, made it clear the board had opted to stand down.

“We have accepted the decision of the ICC board,” Amzad said. “Since the ICC has said that we cannot go and play or they cannot shift our games to Sri Lanka, in this case we cannot go and play in India. Our position remains the same. We are not going to any separate arbitration or anything here.”

The ICC formally replaced Bangladesh after prolonged discussions failed to resolve concerns raised by the BCB and the Bangladesh government about travelling to India for the tournament. With the World Cup scheduled to begin in early February, the ICC board voted by a clear majority to maintain the existing schedule.

Bangladesh had been drawn in Group C and were set to play matches in Kolkata and Mumbai. Those fixtures will now be taken over by Scotland, who step into the tournament at short notice but with full ICC backing.

While reports earlier suggested the BCB was considering taking the matter to the ICC’s dispute panel, BCB reiterated that its stance on travelling to India remains unchanged, but acknowledged there was little room to manoeuvre after the ICC’s final call.