Bangladesh replaced by Scotland at T20 World Cup

Jan 24 - Bangladesh have been replaced by Scotland for next month's Twenty20 World Cup after the South Asian side refused to travel to co-hosts India, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on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 said 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 time frame 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.

Scotland's national cricket body said they had accepted the ICC's invitation to compete in their fifth straight T20 World Cup.

"This is an exciting opportunity for Scotland’s players to compete on the global stage in front of millions of supporters," Cricket Scotland chief executive Trudy Lindblade said in a statement.

"We also acknowledge 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."

Reuters has contacted the BCB for comment.

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 dropped from 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.

Like for the 2023 Asia Cup in Pakistan, a 'hybrid model' was agreed on under which India were allowed to play their Champions Trophy matches in Dubai to salvage the tournament.

Under the agreement running until 2027, Pakistan will play in a neutral venue for any ICC event, including the T20 World Cup where they are scheduled to play their matches in Sri Lanka.

The 20-team World Cup will begin on February 7. REUTERS