One of the key changes has already taken place leading to the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 as Bangladesh will not participate in the event after a long-standing dispute between the country and the body that governs cricket. It was decided against the backdrop of the refusal of the Bangladesh Cricket Board to fly to India which is also one of the host countries.
The international Cricket Council had threatened to remove Bangladesh as a result of not honoring the scheduled tour as per a report. The BCB was so critical of the warning but it did not attend the event.
The Bangladesh board also allegedly had an emergency meeting with senior players and officials to talk about the situation before the final decision was relayed. Some hours later, the tournament structure proceeded without the participation of Bangladesh.
This problem can be traced to the current tension between Indian and Bangladeshi cricket officials. Previously, the Board of Control Cricket in India had requested Kolkata Knight Riders to release a Bangladeshi fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman to their IPL team. This ruling also aggravated the situation and tightened the denial of touring India by Bangladesh.
The BCB had suggested to relocate its world cup games to Sri Lanka like the hybrid model that some teams were employing. Although the Pakistan will host their games in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh was not granted its request by the ICC and said that the schedule of the tournament was already made.
Bangladesh is out now so it is focusing on what could be used in its place. It is reported that Scotland national cricket team may get an opportunity to join the tournament through ranking of qualification. Pakistan has publicly supported the position of Bangladesh but it is not clear whether this will affect future decision.
Things are as they are, and without a last minute change, the T20 world cup 2026 will proceed without Bangladesh. The case reveals the extent to which the off-field conflicts may cause significant implications in global cricket.
