Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has strongly criticised the International Cricket Council (ICC) for replacing Bangladesh with Scotland at the T20 World Cup 2026, calling the decision unfair and inconsistent.
The ICC on Saturday confirmed Bangladesh’s removal from the tournament after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) refused to send its team to India, citing security concerns.
Despite several rounds of discussions, the ICC rejected Bangladesh’s request to shift their matches to Sri Lanka, eventually opting to replace them with Scotland.
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Afridi voiced his disappointment through a post on his official X (formerly Twitter) account, questioning the ICC’s approach and accusing the governing body of applying double standards.
“As a former international cricketer who has played in Bangladesh and in ICC events, I’m deeply disappointed by today’s ICC’s inconsistency,” Afridi wrote.
The former all-rounder drew a comparison with the ICC’s stance on India’s decision not to tour Pakistan in 2025, arguing that Bangladesh deserved similar consideration.
“It accepted India’s security concerns for not touring Pakistan in 2025, yet appears unwilling to apply the same understanding to Bangladesh,” Afridi added. “Consistency and fairness are the foundation of global cricket governance.”
Shahid Afridi further stressed that the decision goes beyond administrative matters and directly affects players and supporters.
“Bangladesh’s players and millions of its fans deserve respect – not mixed standards. The ICC should build bridges, not burn them,” he concluded.
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