Despite talks of Pakistan boycotting the upcoming T20 World Cup, set to be held in Sri Lanka and India from February 7 to March 8, reports have emerged that the team has already booked flights to Colombo for the marquee event.

India batter Ajinkya Rahane said Pakistan “does not have the guts” to pull out of the upcoming T20 World Cup, scheduled to be played in Sri Lanka and India from February 7 to March 8.

Sri Lanka will deploy elite armed units to protect teams at next month's T20 World Cup, part of enhanced security measures with a special emphasis on matches between perennial rivals India and Pakistan, officials have told AFP.

Pakistan take on Australia in a three-match Twenty20 international series starting in Lahore from Thursday, despite doubts over their participation in next month's World Cup in cricket's shortest format.

Had everything gone according to plan, this would have been one of Phil Simmons’ busiest periods. He would have travelled with the Bangladesh team to the World Cup venue and begun final preparations ahead of the global tournament.

South Africa great AB de Villiers said that Bangladesh’s exclusion from the upcoming T20 World Cup presents a “bad look” for cricket and that the situation should never have been allowed to reach such a stage.

Former Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Yousuf criticised the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) decision to replace Bangladesh in the upcoming T20 World Cup, set to be played in Sri Lanka and India from February 7, questioning its “fairness”.

Liam Dawson, who has been with the England squad at four different World Cups but never played a match, is hoping to make his debut at the global tournament in next month's Twenty20 World Cup at the age of 35.

For Scotland, it was a lifeline. For Bangladesh, it was heartbreak.

If international sports can be equated as pseudo-battles between two competing nations, mega sporting events like a World Cup or the Olympics can be thought of as an all-out war with honour at stake.

Bangladesh cricket finds itself in a state of drift. On Monday, the lush green outfield of the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium lay unusually quiet, while even the academy ground showed little sign of activity.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has rejected accreditation applications from Bangladeshi journalists seeking to cover the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup, set to be held in India and Sri Lanka from February 7.

Slotted in Group C at the T20 World Cup, the West Indies will go up against England, Nepal, Italy and Scotland.

Pakistan’s Interior Minister and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) president Mohsin Naqvi on Monday said he had briefed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the “International Cricket Council (ICC) matter”, adding that a final decision would be taken either on Friday or next Monday.

“A sad moment for the game” -- that was the phrase used by the World Cricketers' Association (WCA) while reacting to Bangladesh’s exclusion from the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

Pakistan have announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup, dispelling speculations of a boycott after Bangladesh were left out of the tournament.

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.

These sanctions could include suspension of all bilateral series, denial of No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for foreign players in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), and exclusion from the Asia Cup.

With events unfolding over more than three weeks, the International Cricket Council (ICC) today officially confirmed that Bangladesh will be replaced by Scotland in the upcoming T20 World Cup, co-hosted by Sri Lanka and India from February 7. The sequence of events is as follows:

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Saturday decided to replace Bangladesh with Scotland in the upcoming T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held in India and Sri Lanka from February 7, according to cricket website, Cricbuzz.