Former Australian all-rounder Jason Gillespie has addressed the controversy surrounding a deleted tweet in which he questioned the ICC's decision regarding Bangladesh's exclusion from the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. The tournament is scheduled to be held in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8.

Gillespie's initial tweet sought clarity on why Bangladesh was not permitted to play their matches outside of India, drawing a comparison to previous instances where India was allowed to play matches outside of Pakistan due to security concerns. He questioned the apparent inconsistency in the ICC's approach, writing, "Has there been an explanation from the ICC why Bangladesh could not play their games outside of 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?!?".

However, the former Pakistan red-ball head coach later deleted the post, leading to speculation among fans. In response to inquiries, Gillespie explained that he removed the tweet due to the "abuse" he received after raising the question. "Because I got abused for asking a simple question, that's why," Gillespie stated.

The ICC officially announced on January 24th that Scotland would replace Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup. The decision followed the rejection of the Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB) request to move their matches from India to Sri Lanka, with the ICC citing the absence of any credible or verifiable security threat. According to the ICC, Bangladesh's decision was based on concerns over the safety of players, officials, and support staff in India. The governing body stated they took those concerns seriously and conducted a thorough review before arriving at its final verdict and commissioned both internal and independent security assessments.

The situation has drawn criticism from other figures in the cricket world. Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi also criticized the ICC for showing what he believes is inconsistent treatment towards its member nations. Afridi pointed out that when India declined to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025 due to security concerns, the ICC allowed India to play its matches at a neutral venue in Dubai and questioned why Bangladesh wasn't offered a similar solution for the T20 World Cup. "Consistency and fairness are the foundation of global cricket governance," Afridi wrote. "Bangladeshi players and their millions of cricket fans deserve respect, not double standards. The ICC should build bridges, not walls".

With Bangladesh out of the T20 World Cup, Scotland is set to begin their campaign against the West Indies on February 7 in Kolkata. They are placed in Group C, joining England, Italy, Nepal, and the West Indies.