Cricket Scotland’s headquarters in Edinburgh has been a hive of activity since the board received a call from the ICC on Saturday. After a series of discussions and brainstorming sessions, the International
Cricket Council made a massive, rather historic, move. As Bangladesh failed to respond within the given timeframe allotted by the global body, they were ejected straightaway from the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
The Scottish board readily accepted the ICC’s invitation to fill the vacant spot in Group C, which also features England, the West Indies, Italy and Nepal.
“Always Ready,” posted Cricket Scotland following the ICC’s official confirmation, was circulated worldwide. The political chaos surrounding the tournament, which had been brewing for a couple of weeks, was finally put to rest. But for Scotland, it was just the beginning.
Always ready 👊#FollowScotland pic.twitter.com/bsFDOSAGVb
— Cricket Scotland (@CricketScotland) January 24, 2026
Trudy Lindblade, CEO of Cricket Scotland, revealed that the board sensed a potential possibility last week following a board meeting.
Speaking during a media interaction on Monday, she said the cricket board had begun hypothetical planning well before their participation was officially confirmed.
“It’s been an extremely busy few days, particularly since Saturday morning when I received a call from Sanjog (Gupta), which was the first official notification regarding our invitation to the World Cup,” Lindblade told CricketNext.
“Even before that, after the board meeting on Wednesday, we knew there was a potential possibility. As any responsible organisation would do, we began planning hypothetical scenarios because of the short turnaround before the tournament begins in India,” she added.
Bangladesh’s exit proved to be a blessing in disguise for Scotland. However, the board has a steep climb ahead following the overnight call-up, that too, within a limited timeframe.
“Our first match could be as early as February 2, so assembling a squad, arranging travel, visas and logistics had to be considered in advance. My role was also to manage expectations, because we didn’t know how things would unfold,” Lindblade said.
“We monitored the situation like everyone else, but we wanted to ensure that if the opportunity came, we wouldn’t be starting from zero — and that preparation has held us in good stead,” she added.
Scotland had just two weeks in hand to be World Cup-ready after their participation was confirmed by the ICC. Squad selection, Lindblade admitted, was the easy part; the real scramble has been on the logistical front.
“We’ve been in winter training for several weeks now. In Scotland, temperatures have dropped to minus two or three degrees, so most of our training has been indoors,” she said.
“We have several announcements lined up over the next few days. Right now, our focus — along with Steve and our team manager in Nepal — has been on logistics: flights, visas, hotels and all the practical elements that need to be handled quickly.
“Alongside that, we are working on naming the squad, ensuring players have everything they need, getting them to India, and also securing sponsorship. It’s a busy but exciting time,” she added.
Despite being elated over their miraculous call-up, the board never wanted to secure a World Cup ticket at the cost of another team’s ouster. The Cricket Scotland CEO expressed her sympathy for the Bangladesh Cricket Board.
“We absolutely have sympathy for Bangladesh. This is not how we wanted to qualify, and no team wants to enter a World Cup under these circumstances,” she said.
Scotland’s direct entry could possibly spark an outrage but unfazed by public opinions, Lindblade suggested that they acted upon ICC’s invite and pleased to enter the tournament.
“That said, we have been invited by the ICC. We are ranked 14th in the world and consistently compete at this level. People are entitled to their opinions, but we’re pleased to be here and ready to step up under challenging and unique circumstances,” Lindblade added.
‘Excited to See Our Group’ — Steve Snell
In July last year, the Scotland cricket team suffered heartbreak at the European qualifiers. A defeat against minnows Italy jeopardised their World Cup chances, and a loss to Jersey confirmed their exit. Little did they know then that their fortunes would turn upside down and that they would soon be planning their travel to India.
Replacing Bangladesh in Group C, Scotland will face former champions England and the West Indies. Nepal will also be eager to push for qualification, while Scotland would have a score to settle with Italy.
Steve Snell, Scotland’s Head of Performance, said the loss against Italy last year fuelled the players’ desire to improve.
“We were genuinely excited when we saw the group. There’s huge history and connection in those match-ups,” Snell replied to a CNN-News18 CricketNext query.
“Italy played exceptionally well in the qualifiers and didn’t surprise us. They earned their results. That experience has been a catalyst for improvements in our fitness, mindset and attention to detail.
“Playing England in Kolkata will be a special occasion. They have immense resources and depth, but we’re not intimidated. We have quality players too, and we’ll approach every game with the aim to compete and win,” he added.
