Former Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Yousuf on Tuesday accused the International Cricket Council (ICC) of being “influenced” in its decision to remove Bangladesh from the 2026 T20 World Cup. His remarks, backed by viewership numbers across major cricketing nations, came days after the apex body formally announced Scotland as Bangladesh’s replacement.
Taking to social media, Yousuf laid out the viewership math, claiming that the combined audience across 10 of the 20 participating nations — New Zealand, Australia, Scotland, Nepal, the Netherlands, Ireland, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan — is less than what Bangladesh generates on its own. However, due to the lack of publicly available data, Hindustan Times could not independently verify the figures.
“The combined cricket viewership of New Zealand, Australia, Scotland, Nepal, Netherlands, Ireland, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan is broadly equivalent to what Bangladesh generates on its own. Ten nations combined: 178 million. Bangladesh alone: 176 million,” Yousuf wrote.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had earlier refused to send its team to India for the World Cup, citing “security concerns,” and repeatedly urged the ICC to shift its group-stage matches to an alternate venue. The governing body, however, remained firm, stating that altering the schedule so close to the tournament was not feasible. Bangladesh, despite backing from Pakistan — the only other member nation to support its stance — failed to overturn the decision.
Last week, the ICC confirmed Scotland as the replacement team, with the associate nation qualifying by virtue of being the next-highest-ranked side outside the original participants. Scotland have been placed in Group B.
Yousuf also accused the ICC of inconsistency in governance, subtly referencing how the council had accommodated India’s refusal to travel to Pakistan for last year’s Champions Trophy by assigning Dubai as a neutral venue.
“In a sport driven by global audiences, sidelining Bangladesh’s legitimate security concerns raises serious questions about consistency and governance,” he wrote. “When accommodation becomes selective, fairness disappears. Cricket cannot be administered by influence — only by principle.”
Yousuf is not the only former cricketer to have raised concerns over the ICC’s “inconsistency.” Earlier last week, former Australia fast bowler Jason Gillespie, who previously served as Pakistan’s red-ball coach, posted a tweet referencing India’s Champions Trophy venue arrangement. However, after facing social media abuse, he was forced to delete the post almost immediately.
Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi, along with Rashid Latif and Kamran Akmal, have also criticised the ICC over its decision on Bangladesh.
