T20 World Cup row: Shahid Afridi drags India–Pakistan angle, attacks ICC

Shahid Afridi has powerfully criticised the International Cricket Council pursuing Bangladesh’s removal from the 2026 T20 World Cup, accusing the governing assemblage of applying antithetic standards to antithetic teams.

The erstwhile Pakistan skipper pointed to what helium described arsenic the ICC’s “inconsistency”, referencing however India’s concerns during the 2025 Champions Trophy were handled precise differently.Afridi aired his views connected societal media level X, highlighting what helium believes is unequal attraction of subordinate nations. He recalled however India had cited “security threats” to debar travelling to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy, aft which the ICC arranged for India’s matches to beryllium played astatine a neutral venue successful Dubai.

India yet progressed to the final, denying Pakistan the accidental to big the rubric clash.

“As a erstwhile planetary cricketer who has played successful Bangladesh and successful ICC events, I’m profoundly disappointed by the ICC’s inconsistency. It accepted India’s information concerns for not touring Pakistan successful 2025, yet appears unwilling to use the aforesaid knowing to Bangladesh,” Afridi wrote.Calling for a level playing field, Afridi emphasised that cricket’s planetary administrators indispensable dainty each nations equally.

“Consistency and fairness are the instauration of planetary cricket governance. Bangladesh’s players and millions of its fans merit respect — not mixed standards. The ICC should physique bridges, not pain them,” helium added.The ICC confirmed connected Saturday that Scotland volition instrumentality Bangladesh’s spot successful the upcoming T20 World Cup, describing it arsenic a “difficult decision” aft concluding that relocating Bangladesh’s matches to Sri Lanka was not applicable with the tourney conscionable weeks away.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board had refused to let its squad to question to India, citing information concerns pursuing Mustafizur Rahman’s exit from the IPL.Despite those claims, the ICC reiterated that its assessments recovered nary credible oregon verifiable menace to Bangladesh players, officials oregon supporters successful India, and truthful ruled retired immoderate alteration to the published schedule. Scotland’s inclusion from February 7 brought an extremity to prolonged uncertainty, during which the BCB had remained steadfast connected its stance and adjacent floated the thought of exchanging its radical with Ireland.During Wednesday’s ICC Board meeting, Bangladesh’s connection to determination fixtures was rejected by a decisive 14–2 vote, with Pakistan the lone supporter.Announcing the outcome, the ICC said, “Bangladesh volition nary longer vie successful the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, aft the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) refused to enactment successful the tourney per the published lucifer schedule.” It added, “The determination follows an extended process undertaken by the ICC to code concerns raised by the BCB regarding the hosting of its scheduled matches successful India.”Later, the BCB acknowledged the ruling, admitting determination were nary further options available. Media committee president Amjad Hossain said successful Dhaka, “We person tried our best. We afloat respect the ICC Board, and the Board’s bulk determination was that the lucifer cannot beryllium relocated.”He continued, “Even aft that, we tried successful our ain mode and made requests. Since they volition not bash it oregon bash not privation to, determination is thing much we tin do,” earlier reiterating, “We person accepted the ICC Board’s decision, arsenic the ICC has said that we volition not beryllium capable to spell and play, nor tin our lucifer beryllium shifted to Sri Lanka.”Hossain besides confirmed that the committee would not prosecute further remedies. “In this case, we cannot spell to India to play, and our stance remains the same. We are not going into immoderate abstracted arbitration oregon immoderate different process here."Sources indicated that elder ICC officials, including president Jay Shah, were successful Dubai connected Friday, with an email aboriginal sent to BCB president Aminul Islam Bulbul formally conveying the decision.

The ICC reiterated, “The ICC’s assessments concluded that determination was nary credible oregon verifiable information menace to the Bangladesh nationalist team, officials oregon supporters successful India."In airy of these findings, and aft cautious information of the broader implications, the ICC determined that it was not due to amend the published lawsuit schedule," the connection added.The ICC besides revealed it had fixed Bangladesh a 24-hour deadline to corroborate participation.

“As nary confirmation was received wrong the deadline, the ICC proceeded successful enactment with its established governance and qualification processes to place a replacement team.”Scotland, ranked 14th successful T20Is, were adjacent successful line. “Scotland are the next-highest ranked T20I squad that had primitively missed T20 World Cup qualification. They are presently ranked 14th, which successful information is up of competing teams Namibia, the United Arab Emirates, Nepal, USA, Canada, Oman and Italy."Scotland has been called up to instrumentality Bangladesh’s spot successful Group C, joining England, Italy, Nepal and the West Indies."Scotland volition look West Indies connected February 7, Italy connected February 9 and England connected February 14 successful Kolkata, earlier gathering Nepal successful Mumbai connected February 17.Behind the scenes, Bangladesh Sports Ministry advisor Asif Nazrul had advised against travelling to India contempt repeated ICC assurances. In a last-ditch effort, the BCB besides approached the ICC’s Dispute Resolution Committee, lone to observe it could not perceive appeals against decisions made by the ICC Board. Although autarkic information assessments rated the menace level arsenic “low to moderate”, Nazrul, representing the interim government, directed that the squad would not travel.

A consequent gathering with players was described arsenic one-sided, with Nazrul informing the squad that they would not beryllium allowed to instrumentality portion successful the tournament.