After nearly a month of discussions with the Bangladesh Cricket Board, the ICC was eventually forced to replace Bangladesh with Scotland, resulting in a dramatic entry for the Europeans just two weeks before the tournament began.
Bangladesh were scheduled to play four group matches in India, three of them in Kolkata, but the BCB stood firm on its decision not to travel, citing “security concerns”.
The chain of events was triggered on January 3 when BCCI instructed Kolkata Knight Riders to drop Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL 2026 squad amid deteriorating relations between India and Bangladesh.
Matters escalated the following day when the BCB informed the ICC that the Bangladesh team would not travel to India for their matches and maintained the position, paving the way for Scotland’s inclusion based on the rankings.
But Scotland, who finished fourth in European qualifying behind the Netherlands, Italy and Jersey, insist they are much more than last-minute replacements.
“We are very sympathetic to the Bangladeshi players. But we still massively believe we should be here,” Mark Watt, one of Scotland’s most experienced batsmen with 77 T20Is and 82 ODIs, said on the eve of the tournament.
“We had a swing in the summer and we believe we should be here and we believe we can beat teams ranked higher than us. So we don’t have to second-guess our invitation to this tournament. We are all ready to go,” he added.
That confidence is rooted in past performance. Scotland stun West Indies by 42 runs in the 2022–23 World T20 in Australia, with Watt taking 3/12, and have beaten them twice across formats, including a seven-wicket win in ODIs in the 2023 World Cup qualifiers.
“I don’t think teams will take us lightly. We’ve caused a few upsets in the past. We started really well against England in the last World Cup game, which unfortunately got rained out. I don’t think teams will take us lightly.”
Despite the limited time to prepare, there is a lot of belief in the team, especially among the younger players suddenly thrust onto the global stage.
“We’ve got a lot of youngsters in the squad at the moment and they couldn’t be more excited. Ten days ago they were sitting around doing nothing, now they’re here in India playing in the World Cup, it’s absolutely amazing for them, we’re all so excited to be here and ready to go.”
With England also in their group, Watt said the wider aim is to challenge the Test-playing nations.
“Scotland playing in the World Cup, that’s going to inspire the younger generation, that’s what our job is – to go out there and beat the Test playing nations and inspire young kids to grow up and watch us on TV and say I want to be able to do that.”
To prepare for the conditions in Kolkata, Watt even picked the brains of Afghanistan stars Rashid Khan and Mohammed Nabi during the warm-up match in Bengaluru.
“I spoke to a few Afghan players like Nabi and Rashid about how best to bowl in Kolkata,” he said.
The Scottish team combines experience with youthful energy. Former New Zealand batsman Tom Bruce bolsters the middle order, 19-year-old Afghanistan-born seamer Zainullah Ihsan brings raw pace, while Watt’s variations and Brandon McMullen’s explosive knocks – including 95 off 39 in the warm-up – highlight their spring surprise potential.
West Indies, two-time champions who last lifted the trophy at this very venue in 2016, will still pose a serious threat despite mixed recent form. Sherfane Rutherford (334 runs) and Shai Hope (276 runs) impressed in the recently concluded SA20 for Pretoria Capitals, while Shamar Joseph and Akeal Hosein provide plenty of firepower with the ball.
Teams (from)
West Indies: Shai Hope (capt), Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Gudakesh Motie, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Quentin Sampson, Jayden Seales, Romario Shepherd.
Scotland: Richie Berrington (capt), Tom Bruce, Matthew Cross, Bradley Currie, Oliver Davidson, Chris Greaves, Zainullah Ihsan, Michael Jones, Michael Leask, Finlay McCreath, Brandon McMullen, George Munsey, Safyaan Sharif, Mark Watt, Brad Wheal.