BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla on Monday hit out at Pakistan for what he described as an unnecessary attempt to influence Bangladesh amid the fallout over Scotland replacing Bangladesh at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
Speaking to ANI, Shukla alleged that Pakistan was trying to provoke Bangladesh and “mislead” it, while also invoking the historical context to argue that Islamabad had no standing to insert itself into the matter. “Pakistan is intervening in the matter without any reason and provoking Bangladesh… Everyone knows the brutality done by Pakistan on the Bangladeshis, and now they are trying to mislead them, which is completely wrong…” Shukla said.
His remarks come at a time when the tournament’s reshuffle has sparked sharp reactions across the region, with Bangladesh’s decision to step away from the event triggering debate around scheduling, venue logistics and the broader political undercurrents that often shadow cricket in South Asia. Shukla’s response, however, sought to put the spotlight on what he called Pakistan’s role in the controversy rather than the operational consequences alone.
While the second part of Shukla’s statement carried the strongest political charge, he also addressed the practical reason why Scotland had to be drafted in as a replacement. Shukla said India had wanted Bangladesh to participate and that security assurances were provided, but once Bangladesh took a call, the fixtures could not realistically be reworked at short notice.
“We wanted Bangladesh to play and we also assured full security, but since they have made this decision, it is very difficult to change the entire schedule at the last moment. This is why Scotland was brought in…” Shukla told ANI.
The BCCI official’s comments effectively framed the replacement as a scheduling compulsion rather than a choice driven by any single board. With match dates, venues, travel plans, ticketing operations and broadcast commitments tied to a published calendar, any last-minute reconfiguration can ripple across the entire tournament build-up.
But Shukla’s sharper message remained directed at Pakistan, as he questioned the intent behind its public positioning and urged that Bangladesh’s decision should not be shaped by outside provocation. In his view, the episode has moved beyond a routine tournament adjustment and into a contested political narrative – one the BCCI believes Pakistan is trying to steer.