After several days of the rumour mill churning and leaving Scottish cricket on tenterhooks with potential participation at the 2026 T20 World Cup on the line, the official confirmation came through that the British country would step in to replace Bangladesh and participate in the tournament in the coming month.
This marks Scotland’s fifth consecutive appearance at the T20 World Cup, extending a stream which started in 2016. The highest ranked country in the ICC standings who failed to qualify for the World Cup, Scotland were named as the alternates, and were confirmed as participants in the event by the governing board on Saturday.
With social media accounts confirming that the team was heading to the World Cup, a press statement was provided by Cricket Scotland, finally breaking their silence on receiving a second chance at the tournament.
Wilf Walsh, chairman of Cricket Scotland, said in the press statement: “I welcomed a call from ICC Chair Jay Shah earlier today confirming that Scotland will receive an invitation to play at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. I was pleased to accept on behalf of our team, who are willing and ready to go. We thank the ICC for this opportunity and look forward to competing with some of the best sides in the world in India in the coming weeks.”
Scotland players ready to make trip to India
Scotland will be flying to India and Sri Lanka despite finishing fourth in the European Regional Qualifiers, with the top two teams Netherlands and Italy already present in the tournament. Scotland join Italy’s Group C, replacing Bangladesh directly. The group also includes neighbours England, as well as West Indies and Nepal.
While this stands as a big opportunity for Scotland, the cricket board also recognised that their participation was borne from an event that has developed into one containing plenty of tension. Bangladesh were given an ultimatum by the ICC that they refused to meet with regards to playing on Indian soil, opening the door for Scotland to play in their stead.
Despite only 2 weeks to go for the tournament, the higher-ups believe recent cricket will keep the players fresh and in form heading into it, as Richie Berrington’s team prepare to fly over as soon as possible to come to terms with the climate in India.
“We also acknowledge that 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, ready to play and contribute to what should be a fantastic ICC Men’s T20 World Cup,” added Trudy Lindblade, chief executive of Cricket Scotland.
Scotland will take over Bangladesh’s schedule, playing their first three games as the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, before making the journey to Mumbai for their final group game once the tournament begins on February 7.
