ICC Vs BCB: Anjum Chopra Asks 'What About Players?' After Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup 2026 Exclusion

Former Indian cricketer and commentator Anjum Chopra has reacted to Bangladesh’s exclusion from the 2026 T20 World Cup, drawing attention to the impact of the crisis on the players caught between politics and administration.

The ICC replaced Bangladesh with Scotland after the Bangladesh Cricket Board refused to travel to India, formally ending the team’s participation in the tournament and closing the door on any further negotiations.

During an interaction, when asked about the India–Bangladesh situation and Mustafizur Rahman’s release from KKR and the chaos that followed, Chopra told Outlook, "You could look at it from either side, India or Bangladesh, and both would feel they are right."

"But one very important question is: what about the players? At the end of the day, if a team misses out on a World Cup after preparing so thoroughly, all that effort, planning and potential goes to waste."

Chopra highlighted the uncertainty faced by the cricketers during the crisis. "The players are the stars on the ground, the ones fans come to watch and associate with. Yet they are left in the lurch. They don’t know what they are supposed to do, should they go, should they not go, will they be asked, will they not be asked? It’s a very sad, almost catch-22 situation for them."

She added that while both sides may feel justified in their positions, the sport itself had suffered. "Eventually, it’s the sport that is possibly the one suffering right now. And as I said, what about the players who miss out?"

Bangladesh’s removal from the tournament capped a turbulent three-week period that began with Rahman’s release from the IPL following instructions from the BCCI.

What initially appeared to be a franchise-level decision quickly escalated into a diplomatic and administrative standoff involving the Bangladesh Cricket Board, the ICC and government authorities.

Bangladesh’s interim government later instructed the BCB to seek a venue change for their World Cup fixtures, citing security concerns and refusing to allow the national team to travel to India under the existing schedule.

The ICC rejected the request, warning that any refusal to play could lead to forfeiture and disciplinary action.

Days later, following a meeting in Dubai chaired by ICC chairman Jay Shah, the governing body formally confirmed Scotland as Bangladesh’s replacement for the 2026 T20 World Cup.