Overview:
Bangladesh refused to allow its team to travel to India due to security threats, following Mustafizur Rahman's exit from the IPL.
Shahid Afridi has hit out at the International Cricket Council following Bangladesh’s exit from the T20 World Cup 2026, saying the apex body is giving different treatment to different teams. He highlighted how the ICC handled India’s concerns during the 2025 Champions Trophy. Afridi took to X, accusing the ICC of favouritism.
He recalled how India refused to play in Pakistan due to security reasons, and the ICC allowed them to compete in Dubai. India made it to the final, and the host nation, Pakistan, was not able to stage the title clash in their own country.
“As a former international cricketer who has played in Bangladesh and in ICC events, I’m deeply disappointed by the ICC’s inconsistency. It accepted India’s security concerns for not touring Pakistan in 2025, yet appears unwilling to apply the same understanding to Bangladesh,” Afridi wrote.
Former Pakistan captain said that the ICC should treat all the playing nations equally.
“Consistency and fairness are the foundation of global cricket governance. Bangladesh’s players and millions of its fans deserve respect — not mixed standards. The ICC should build bridges, not burn them,” he added.
The ICC confirmed on Saturday that Scotland have replaced Bangladesh in the upcoming global tournament, saying changing the schedule was not possible. Bangladesh refused to allow its team to travel to India due to security threats, following Mustafizur Rahman’s exit from the IPL.
The ICC didn’t agree to Bangladesh’s stance and demand, and Scotland’s addition has ended the suspense on the future of matches in Kolkata and Mumbai.
ICC revealed that it gave Bangladesh a 24-hour deadline to confirm its participation. “No confirmation was received within the deadline, and ICC had to proceed to find a suitable replacement.”
Scotland, who are ranked 14th in T20Is, have been given a chance to compete in the World Cup. “Scotland missed out on the qualification and is the next highest-ranked team. Scotland have been called to replace Bangladesh.”