ICC’s double standards

2026-01-26 - 00:54

The International Cricket Council’s decision to exclude Bangladesh from the T20 World Cup 2026 is not just disappointing, it is deeply troubling. By replac-ing Bangladesh with Scotland over Dhaka’s refusal to send its team to India on security reasons, the ICC has once again exposed an uncomfortable truth about global cricket governance: principles of neutrality and fairness are often applied selectively. It is difficult to ignore the glaring contrast with the past. When India refused to travel to Pakistan for an ICC event, the governing body did not invoke the “sanctity of the schedule” or warn against dangerous precedents. Instead, ac-commodations were swiftly made. Matches were shifted to Dubai, a country that was not even a host of the tournament. The ICC bent over backwards to en-sure India’s participation, citing concerns that were never subjected to the same rigid standards of credible or verifiable proof now demanded of Bangladesh. In the present case, Bangladesh requested that its matches be moved to Sri Lanka, an official co-host of the event. This was a reasonable, proportionate request within the existing framework of the tournament. To reject it outright, while in-voking principles that were conveniently ignored in earlier, high-profile cases, lays bare the ICC’s bias and discriminatory attitude. Cricket’s global body in-sists it is safeguarding the “integrity and sanctity” of the tournament. But integ-rity cannot be selective. Sanctity cannot depend on the commercial or political weight of a particular board. When rules are flexed for the powerful and weaponized against the less influential, the credibility of the entire institution suffers. Pakistan and Sri Lanka, in particular, must reflect seriously on what is at stake. Standing with Bangladesh at this moment is not merely an act of soli-darity; it is an investment in a fairer future for international cricket.