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Last updated on - January 25, 2026, 4:28 PM IST
By
Sruti Thakur
Bangladesh exit T20 World Cup 2026, let's take a look at this photo collection to find out about the five incidents when team drew from ICC events
The 1996 ODI World Cup, which was jointly hosted by India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, was overshadowed by security concerns, particularly in Sri Lanka due to civil war. A bomb blast in Colombo weeks before the tournament escalated fears. While India and Pakistan showed support by playing a friendly in Colombo, Australia and the West Indies declined to travel to Sri Lanka for their group-stage matches and forfeited the points. Despite the setback, Australia progressed to the quarter-finals and eventually the final, where Sri Lanka emerged as the winner.
The 2003 ODI World Cup, co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Kenya, saw teams opting out of matches in certain host nations. England refused to play in Zimbabwe due to political concerns under Robert Mugabe’s regime, forfeiting the match, while New Zealand declined to travel to Kenya following security fears after a bombing in Mombasa. With the ICC rejecting requests for venue changes, England exited early, New Zealand narrowly progressed to the Super Sixes, and Kenya famously reached the semi-finals.
Tensions between the UK and Zimbabwe worsened after the 2003 World Cup, and by the 2009 T20 World Cup, Zimbabwe's participation was uncertain. The strained political climate ultimately led Zimbabwe to withdraw from the tournament. In what the ICC described as a "win-win" solution, Zimbabwe stepped aside in the larger interest of the game, received their full participation fee, and did not compete, with Scotland replacing them after qualifying as an Associate team.
Ahead of the 2016 Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh, Australia raised serious concerns about the country's security situation. Having already withdrawn from a bilateral series in October 2015 due to perceived threats to Australian interests, Australia maintained its stance when the tournament arrived in early 2016, confirming it would not take part. The ICC respected the decision, and Ireland was named as Australia's replacement for the event.
The 2025 Champions Trophy, which was Pakistan's first ICC event in 29 years, was surrounded by uncertainty over India's participation in the host nation. Ongoing diplomatic tensions led the BCCI to withhold approval for the Indian team to travel to Pakistan, prompting the ICC to adopt a hybrid model. Under the arrangement, India's matches were shifted to Dubai, while Pakistan hosted the remainder of the tournament.
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