Afridi, Gillespie question ICC over Bangladesh T20 WC call

Former Australia pacer Jason Gillespie and ex-Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi criticise the ICC for double standards after Bangladesh were replaced by Scotland in the T20 World Cup over security concerns.

Former Australian pacer Jason Gillespie and former Pakistan captan Shahid Afridi tore into the International Cricket Council over the apparent double standards by the world cricket body over Bangladesh's reluctance to travel to India for the T20 World Cup next month.

Bangladesh were replaced by Scotland in the 20-team showpiece on Saturday following their refusal to tour India over safety concerns in the wake of soured political relations between the Asian neighbours.

BCB media committee chairman Amjad Hossain, on Saturday said the Bangladesh Board tried its best but knew ICC "will not do it" or "do not want to" in terms of meeting his country's request and there was "nothing more" they could do.

Following this development, Gillespie raised a pertinent and valid question on X: 'Has there been an explanation from the ICC why Bangladesh could not play their games outside India? From memory, India refused to play Champions Trophy matches in Pakistan, and they were allowed to play those games outside of Pakistan. Can someone make this make sense?'

'The ICC should build bridges, not burn them'

Afridi also lashed out at the ICC, questioning the unequal treatment of member boards by the ICC.

'As a former international cricketer who has played in Bangladesh and in ICC events, I’m deeply disappointed by the ICC’s inconsistency. It accepted India’s security concerns for not touring Pakistan in 2025, yet appears unwilling to apply the same understanding to Bangladesh,' Afridi wrote on X.

'Consistency and fairness are the foundation of global cricket governance. Bangladesh’s players and millions of its fans deserve respect -- not mixed standards. The ICC should build bridges, not burn them,' he added.

India had cited “security threats” as a reason for not travelling to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy in 2025, after which the ICC offered Dubai as a neutral venue to host India’s matches.