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Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi and ex-Australia all-rounder Jason Gillespie launched a sharp critique of the ICC’s decision-making after Bangladesh were ejected from the 2026 T20 World Cup. The two veteran internationals questioned the global body’s “inconsistency”, drawing comparisons with a past instance — India at the 2025 Champions Trophy — where venue changes were accommodated.
Taking to social media platform X, Afridi lashed out at the ICC, questioning the unequal treatment of member boards as he highlighted how India had cited “security threats” as a reason for not travelling to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy. The apex body eventually offered a neutral venue in Dubai for India’s matches. With India reaching the final, Pakistan did not get the opportunity to host the summit clash.
“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.
Afridi stressed the need for the ICC to apply its rules uniformly, regardless of the teams involved.
“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.
Gillespie, a former Pakistan coach, also questioned the ICC’s double standards over the Bangladesh matter, citing the India Champions Trophy case in his social media post. The Aussie had later deleted his post.
“Has there been an explanation from the ICC why Bangladesh could not play their games outside of India?” Gillespie asked. “From memory, India refused to play Champions Trophy matches in Pakistan and were allowed to play those games outside the country. Can someone make this make sense?”
Bangladesh lost their place in the T20 World Cup after the ICC refused to accede to their request not to send the team to India, citing security concerns. The three-week standoff ended with the ICC formally announcing Scotland as Bangladesh’s replacement.
