Zainullah Ihsan at Scotland Cricket facility [Source: X]Scotland is set to replace Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup 2026, and alongside a balanced squad, they have decided to include Afghanistan-born teenager Zainullah Ihsan in their squad for the mega event. The 19-year-old, Zainullah Ihsan, who was granted refugee status in 2022 after arriving from Afghanistan as an unaccompanied asylum seeker, has received his maiden call-up for a global tournament. Remarkably, Ihsan had never played professional cricket before. He only played tape-ball cricket prior to moving to Glasgow, where he later joined the GHK Cricket Club. Ihsan became eligible to represent Scotland last year and made his international debut after featuring for Scotland A. Afghani refugee Zainullah Ihsan up for maiden international tour Scotland’s head of performance, Steve Snell, welcomed Ihsan’s inclusion and admitted that the young pacer impressed during his time with the ‘A’ squad. Snell noted that Ihsan bowled at genuine pace and showcased exciting skills, adding that the team is delighted to see him feature in a major tournament. "There's obviously a great opportunity for Zainullah Ihsan, and whenever he's played at youth level or for the 'A' squad, he's shown an exciting range of skills and bowled at genuine pace,” Snell told BBC. Scotland will be led by captain Richie Berrington as they make their seventh appearance in the T20 World Cup. The squad also includes former New Zealand international Tom Bruce, who is expected to strengthen the batting line-up. Bruce previously played 17 T20Is for New Zealand before switching his allegiance to Scotland. With the squad finalised, Scotland are now focused on travel arrangements and last-minute visa formalities, which remain the only concerns ahead of the tournament. Scotland facing visa delays; confident about joining on time Bangladesh’s exit from the competition, despite them not qualifying, handed Scotland an unexpected opportunity, though it also brought logistical challenges. Scotland chief executive Trudy Lindblade confirmed that officials are working around the clock to manage the late changes. Lindblade acknowledged that there could be visa-related delays, particularly for Afghanistan-born seamer Ihsan, and for pacer Safyaan Sharif, who has Pakistani heritage. However, Lindblade expressed confidence that the visas would be processed in time and assured that there would be no delay in the team’s arrival in India. Nevertheless, besides visa delays, Scotland is also suffering from a lack of a sponsor and a new playing kit which is yet to arrive. "If we've got kits, that's a bonus. If not, you might see us in our regular Cricket Scotland playing kits. We've got seven days to turn around a sponsor," Lindblade added. Why visa delay for Scotland? Given the geopolitical tensions between India and Pakistan, players with Pakistani roots can face visa delays. Despite this, Scotland officials remain optimistic about receiving swift clearances. Scotland are scheduled to face West Indies on the opening day of the tournament at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, and the team believes that even with the late call-up, their fixture will not be affected as arrangements are expected to be completed on time.
