Bangladesh have been replaced by Scotland for next month’s Twenty20 World Cup after the South Asian side refused to travel to co-hosts India, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Saturday.
The decision follows weeks of uncertainty, during which the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) repeatedly insisted it would not play its scheduled matches in India, citing safety concerns following soured political relations between the neighbours.
Bangladesh had asked the ICC to move their games to the tournament co-hosts Sri Lanka instead, but the governing body rejected the demand, dismissing any security threat to the team.
“Following a meeting on Wednesday, the Bangladesh Cricket Board had been given a 24-hour timeframe to confirm whether its team would participate in India as scheduled,” the ICC said in a statement.
“As no confirmation was received within the deadline, the ICC proceeded in line with its established governance and qualification processes to identify a replacement team.”
Scotland have replaced Bangladesh in Group C, joining England, Nepal, Italy and West Indies.
“Scotland are the next-highest ranked T20 international team that had originally missed T20 World Cup qualification. They are currently ranked 14th, which in fact is ahead of competing teams Namibia, the United Arab Emirates, Nepal, the United States, Canada, Oman and Italy,” the ICC added.
PROTESTS NEAR BANGLADESH HIGH COMMISSION
Last month, hundreds of people protested near Bangladesh’s High Commission in New Delhi after Hindu factory worker Dipu Chandra Das was beaten and set on fire in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh district by a crowd that accused him of making derogatory remarks about Prophet Muhammad.
A total of 12 people were arrested in connection with his death.
The incident worsened relations between India and its neighbour, with ties already strained after Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to New Delhi following protests against her.
Political tensions have spilled into cricket.
Bangladesh bowler Mustafizur Rahman was droppedfrom this year’s Indian Premier League despite signing with its Kolkata franchise. Bangladesh responded by banning IPL broadcasts in the country and demanding to play World Cup matches in Sri Lanka.
The standoff mirrors previous tensions in South Asian cricket.
For the Champions Trophy last year, the Indian cricket board (BCCI) stuck to its policy of not touring Pakistan because of the strained political ties between the bitter neighbours, who play each other only in ICC events.
