BCB director resigns following Bangladesh’s controversial T20 World Cup 2026 snub
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "BCB director resigns following Bangladesh’s controversial T20 World Cup 2026 snub")
Bangladesh cricket team Photograph: (AFP)
Scotland was selected as Bangladesh’s replacement based on ICC rankings, despite finishing behind Italy, the Netherlands and Jersey in the European qualifiers. Scotland previously played in the 2022 and 2024 T20 World Cups and performed well against teams like Australia and England.
Ishtiaque Sadeque has resigned from his position as a director of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) following Bangladesh’s withdrawal from the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026, scheduled to be held in India and Sri Lanka. The chairman of the BCB’s Game Development Committee submitted his resignation on Saturday (Jan 24) and said that he stepped down because of family and personal reasons. Sadeque was elected as a director from Category 2 (Dhaka Clubs) in the BCB elections held last October, securing the highest number of votes in his group with 42.
His resignation came on the same day when the International Cricket Council (ICC) officially announced that Scotland would replace Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup 2026. Bangladesh withdrew from the tournament, citing security concerns about playing in India and claiming that those concerns were not properly addressed by the ICC. The decision sparked strong criticism and widespread public debate.
Speaking to Cricbuzz, Sadeque said he could not give enough time and effort to his responsibilities due to family commitments. He added that he felt he was not doing justice to such an important role and decided to step aside.
"It is true that I am resigning. I believe that I am unable to dedicate the time required for such a large community like Game Development, where I am currently serving, because of my family and personal commitments. I cannot provide the effort necessary to accelerate Game Development. For this reason, I feel a personal sense of regret that I am not doing justice to this position. That is why I am resigning from here," Ishtiaque told Cricbuzz.
“The claim that I am leaving because of any misunderstanding, relationship issues with anyone on this board, or due to any hurt feelings or grievances, is completely false. Everyone who was with me tried their best in their own way”.
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"I believe that whoever succeeds me in Game Development will be able to take Bangladesh's cricket forward. They have my full support. Even though I will no longer be on the board-I mean, they will have my complete support. Thank you very much," he added.
What ICC said
The ICC stated that Bangladesh was replaced by Scotland after the BCB refused to play unless the venue was moved from India to Sri Lanka. The ICC said several discussions took place, but no solution was reached and after Bangladesh’s appeal failed, the ICC decided to continue with the original schedule.
According to the ICC, their security review found no real or confirmed threat to the Bangladesh team, officials, or fans in India. Based on this assessment, the ICC said there was no reason to change the venue.
Scotland was selected as Bangladesh’s replacement based on ICC rankings, despite finishing behind Italy, the Netherlands and Jersey in the European qualifiers. Scotland previously played in the 2022 and 2024 T20 World Cups and performed well against teams like Australia and England.
In the 2026 tournament, Scotland will be part of Group C alongside England, West Indies, Italy and Nepal. They will begin their campaign against West Indies on February 7 in Kolkata.
