Bangladesh omitted from T20 World Cup 2026: What next for BCB

Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) refusal to travel to India for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, despite constant assurances from the ICC, has finally come back to haunt it, as on Saturday the ICC officially announced that it has removed Bangladesh from the T20 World Cup and handed their spot to Scotland instead.

The move did not come as much of a surprise as, a few days ago, after failing to comply with the ICC’s deadline to take a final call, the BCB officially announced that it was boycotting the World Cup as it refused to play in India at any cost.

However, despite the omission, the BCB is not looking to stop its pursuit of a venue change and has now added getting its place back in the tournament to its agenda, as on Friday it was reported that the BCB is going to file an independent petition to the ICC’s independent Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC) in the hope of seeking its intervention in the dispute with the ICC. 

DRC refers to the Dispute Resolution Committee, an independent body appointed by the International Cricket Council to resolve contractual, financial and governance-related disputes within the sport. The committee primarily deals with issues involving players, national cricket boards, coaches, agents and officials, particularly in matters such as player contracts, unpaid dues, employment terms and regulatory disagreements.

The DRC functions as a neutral arbitration mechanism, with its decisions being binding on the parties involved, helping to ensure disputes are settled fairly and efficiently without resorting to lengthy legal proceedings. By providing a structured framework for conflict resolution, the Dispute Resolution Committee plays an important role in safeguarding players’ rights and maintaining transparency and stability in international cricket.

In its petition to the ICC’s Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC), the Bangladesh Cricket Board stated that it was approaching the panel as a last resort in order to exhaust all available legal and administrative remedies. The BCB maintained that its decision-making was influenced by concerns raised at the highest levels of the country, including issues related to player safety and security, and sought the DRC’s intervention under the framework available to member boards.

The petition also referred to the circumstances under which Bangladesh decided not to travel to India, citing security-related apprehensions following developments involving senior pacer Mustafizur Rahman and his removal from the Kolkata Knight Riders squad, which, according to the BCB, further reinforced its concerns.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s hopes of contesting the ICC’s decision over its exclusion appear slim, with an ICC board source, while talking to PTI, saying that the BCB does not have the option of appealing to the Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC). According to the source, while Bangladesh can technically approach the DRC, the committee does not have the authority to hear appeals against decisions taken by the ICC Board of Directors, effectively closing the door on any formal challenge.

The BCB’s chances of successfully challenging the ICC’s decision under the Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC) are very low due to a clear limitation set out in the committee’s mandate.

As per Clause 1.3 of the DRC’s Terms of Reference, the committee does not function as an appellate body and is not authorised to hear cases against decisions taken by the ICC or any decision-making body established under the ICC’s Memorandum and Articles of Association, or under its rules and regulations.

This provision effectively bars the BCB from contesting or appealing the ICC Board’s decision through the DRC, leaving the board without a formal mechanism to challenge the ruling.

After being omitted from the T20 World Cup, the BCB will not only lose out on any money it could have made from the prize pool, but its constant efforts to undo the ICC’s decision and challenge its call can also result in further sanctions being imposed on it.

However, the BCB has also kept one more option open. The board said that if the DRC ruled against it or failed to acknowledge the petition, the only remaining option would be to approach the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland.