International cricket tournaments have often been disrupted by political tensions and security fears, leading teams to refuse travel to host nations. From 1996 ICC World Cup to 2026 ICC T20 World Cup, many teams have refused to travel to host countries, citing different reasons that resulted in walkovers and replacements. There is also an instance of introducing a hybrid model when India refused to travel to Pakistan in the 2025 Champions Trophy. The instances are given below:
Sri Lanka co-hosted the 1996 World Cup during a period of civil conflict, and a bomb blast in Colombo just weeks before the tournament intensified safety fears. Australia and West Indies refused to play their group matches there. Both teams forfeited those games, handing Sri Lanka crucial points. Sri Lanka, Australia, and West Indies still advanced to the knockouts, and Sri Lanka ultimately defeated Australia in the final in Lahore.
The first African World Cup, co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Kenya, also faced disruption. England declined to play Zimbabwe in Harare due to the UK government’s political stance against Robert Mugabe’s regime. Meanwhile, New Zealand refused to travel to Nairobi for a match against Kenya following a recent bombing in Mombasa. Requests to relocate the matches were denied by the ICC, and walkovers were awarded to Zimbabwe and Kenya. England were eliminated in the first round, while Kenya rode the awarded points all the way to a historic semifinal appearance.
Tensions between Zimbabwe and the UK resurfaced ahead of the 2009 T20 World Cup in England. Concerns over visa issues and diplomatic friction led to uncertainty about Zimbabwe’s participation. Eventually, Zimbabwe withdrew from the tournament, although they received their participation fee. Scotland replaced them in the tournament.
Australia pulled out of the 2016 U-19 World Cup in Bangladesh, citing persistent security threats. Ireland stepped in as Australia’s replacement.
Pakistan was set to host its first ICC event in nearly three decades, but India declined to travel, citing lack of government clearance. A hybrid system was introduced, ensuring that India’s matches were played at a neutral venue, Dubai. India went on to win the tournament.
On January 3, Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman was dropped by the Kolkata Knight Riders under directives from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). On the following day, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) wrote to the ICC, refusing to travel to India, citing security concerns and the government’s directive. After a series of discussions between two parties, the ICC had formally rejected the BCB’s request to relocate Bangladesh’s matches from India to Sri Lanka. A vote was held during the ICC Board meeting, where only the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) supported Bangladesh’s stance, while the remaining members voted to retain the original schedule. On January 24, ICC confirmed Scotland as Bangladesh’s replacement for the tournament that cost Bangladesh their place at the World Cup. Pakistan later boycotted their February 15 group fixture against India to show solidarity with Bangladesh.
