The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is in turmoil after being left out of the T20 World Cup. Following three weeks of drama and global embarrassment, a final blow came from the ICC, hitting hard the officials in Bangladesh. Amidst this chaos, BCB Director Ishtiaque Sadeq resigned from his post citing personal reasons. Sadeq, who also chaired the Game Development Committee, tendered his resignation on Saturday.
Interestingly, Sadeq's resignation surfaced on the same day (Saturday) that the International Cricket Council (ICC) formally confirmed Scotland as the replacement for Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup 2026. Bangladesh cited security concerns about playing in India, choosing to withdraw—a decision that sparked widespread criticism and debate.
Ishtiaque Sadeq was elected as a director in BCB's elections last October from Category-2 (Dhaka Clubs), where he garnered the most votes at 42. Yet, despite this support, his tenure was brief.
Read More: Why Bangladesh was OUT of T20 World Cup and How Scotland Got a Chance? ICC Provides Answers
What Sadeq Said About His Resignation
Reacting to his resignation, Ishtiaque Sadeq told CricBuzz, 'It's true that I'm resigning. I feel unable to devote the necessary time to Game Development due to family and personal responsibilities. I can't make the effort required for this role, and it seems unfair to hold a position I can't justify, hence my decision to step down.'
He also made it clear that his resignation wasn't the result of disagreements or controversies, stating that the claims of misunderstandings or sour relations with board members are completely unfounded. Everyone on the board had put forth their best efforts.
Ishtiaque Sadeq expressed confidence that whoever takes over Game Development responsibilities after him will continue to advance Bangladesh cricket.
Read More: Will Pakistan Boycott T20 World Cup too? Naqvi Threatens ICC After Bangladesh's Exclusion
ICC's Statement on Bangladesh's Exclusion
Meanwhile, the ICC clarified its stance on removing Bangladesh from the tournament. The ICC revealed that BCB demanded the matches be shifted from India to Sri Lanka, but security assessments did not reveal a concrete or credible threat. Despite prolonged discussions and appeals by the dispute resolution committee, no agreement was reached, leading the ICC to proceed with its schedule by incorporating Scotland in place of Bangladesh.
The ICC emphasized that the decision was crucial to uphold the tournament's fairness, protect the interests of all teams and fans, and avoid setting a bad precedent for the future.
Scotland was chosen as the replacement team based on ICC rankings, even though it was behind Italy, Netherlands, and Jersey in the European qualifiers. Scotland has previously competed in the 2022 and 2024 T20 World Cups and has impressed against teams like Australia and England.
In the 2026 T20 World Cup, Scotland is placed in Group C along with England, the West Indies, Italy, and Nepal. Scotland will face the West Indies in their first match on February 7 in Kolkata.
