Explained: This article explains the political background, key decisions, and possible outcomes related to Explained : Cricket loses as politics takes the field and Its Impact and why it matters right now.
We fully share the frustration expressed by the World Cricketers’ Association over Bangladesh’s exclusion from the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup. The cricketers’ body has rightly described it as “a sad moment” for cricket, and its call on stakeholders to work towards uniting the sport rather than dividing it deserves serious consideration.
Cricket’s governing body, the International Cricket Council (ICC), last week rejected Bangladesh’s request to relocate its matches scheduled in India to tournament co-host Sri Lanka, citing the impracticality of altering the fixture so close to the tournament’s February 7 start. Earlier, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) sought the change after the Indian Premier League (IPL) barred Bangladesh’s lone participant, Mustafizur Rahman, from joining the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), a franchise owned by Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan. Both Khan and his team reportedly received threats from several right-wing groups and the West Bengal unit of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Given the nature and gravity of these threats from Hindutva groups, the BCB declined to travel to India and requested a rearrangement of its World Cup fixtures.
Bangladesh felt further aggrieved by the ICC’s decision to replace it by inviting Scotland, particularly in light of past precedents where similar requests by India and Pakistan were accommodated. India’s refusal to travel to Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy on security grounds set such a precedent, and later the whole 2025 Men’s T20 Asia Cup was relocated to the United Arab Emirates due to geopolitical tensions between Pakistan and India. This time, however, the ICC not only rejected Bangladesh’s request—based on a third-party assessment of security conditions in India—but also invited a new team to take its place. The argument of logistical infeasibility is unconvincing, to say the least, as Scotland’s last-minute inclusion also entails logistical preparations including arranging visas, travel, and accommodation. Add to that the very short window for the team’s preparation. Scotland’s entry also offers little prospect of offsetting commercial losses.
It is worth recalling that Indian diplomat-turned-politician Shashi Tharoor, chairman of its parliamentary standing committee on external affairs, recently wrote in The Times of India that “as citizens and sports lovers, we must stand up for the principle that the playing field should remain a sanctuary for merit, not a theatre for performative nationalism.” Regrettably, performative nationalism appears to have prevailed, and the ICC has failed to shield the game from politicisation.
Cricket fans worldwide, including prominent voices within India, have expressed indignation at what they see as the global regulator’s double standards. The controversy now threatens to spill further into geopolitics, with the Pakistan Cricket Board apparently threatening to withdraw from the tournament and the ICC responding with warnings of harsh penalties. The world now waits to see whether the parties involved will step back from the brink and find an amicable resolution to this deepening crisis.