JERSEY’S long-held ambitions of reaching the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup have been put on hold after Scotland were selected ahead of the island for the global tournament.
Despite both sides failing to qualify initially for the competition, the recent departure of Bangladesh from the competition opened up a spot, which was deemed by the International Cricket Council to be awarded to the Scots.
Scotland are currently ranked 14th in the ICC T20 rankings, with Jersey ranked down in 27th, but during the latest European Qualification tournament back in July 2025, Jersey finished above Scotland, including beating them for the first time in a final ball thriller at The Hague in Voorburg, Netherlands.
Jersey Cricket Statement
Cricket Jersey has expressed disappointment at the decision not to apply the Qualifying rankings for the 2026 event as the mechanism to determine substitute participation following Bangladesh’s withdrawal, while reaffirming its ambition to qualify for a World Cup on merit.
CEO, Sarah Gomersall said: “While we are naturally disappointed with the outcome, we want to be clear that a strong and thoughtful case was put forward on Jersey’s behalf. The potential impact of World Cup participation, inspiring the next generation, strengthening participation across the game and leaving a lasting legacy for cricket in Jersey, cannot be overstated.”
The opportunity for Jersey to participate in a World Cup would have been hugely significant, not only for the players and coaching staff, but for the Island as a whole. To see Jersey cricketers competing on the world stage would represent the realisation of lifelong ambitions and a powerful statement about what can be achieved from a small island with a proud cricketing tradition.
While this opportunity has not materialised on this occasion, Cricket Jersey’s ambition remains undiminished. The focus now is on continuing to earn a place in its own right, supporting players to reach the highest level, and ensuring the game continues to grow, inspire and compete on the international stage. That aspiration is shared not only within the squad, but across clubs, schools and communities throughout the Island.
Jersey Captain, Charles Perchard
Leading from the front for the better part of a decade, skipper Chuggy Perchard shared his thoughts on the ICC’s decision.
“It would have been incredible to be given that golden ticket to the World Cup,” he said. “Whether or not we ‘deserved’ it is up for debate, but having beaten Scotland in the qualifiers and finished above them, it does feel quite cruel to miss out this time.”
However, the skipper said he understood the reasoning behind the ICC’s decision, describing it as a “safe bet” taken under pressure.
“This was unprecedented and not really legislated for,” he explained. “The ICC had to make an on-the-spot decision with not much time, and picking the highest-ranked team was the safest option. So I’m not surprised by how it’s panned out – even if we’d hoped it might be us.”
Despite the disappointment, the captain remains confident Jersey will reach a World Cup on merit in the near future.
“We’re super confident we can qualify properly at some point. We’ve got a great group of lads who are only getting better, it’s still a young team, and the future is really bright.”
European nations are generally lagging behind their Asian counterparts in global rankings. European countries are allotted just two spots in the qualifying system for T20 World Cups, whereas Asia is allowed four.
Looking ahead, Perchard believes strong performances from European nations on the global stage could help unlock more World Cup places for the region.
“We need European teams to do well,” he added. “If Scotland, Ireland, the Netherlands – and others – can win games at World Cups and show how competitive Europe is, then hopefully the ICC will see that we deserve more slots.”
Jersey’s focus now turns firmly to a busy and pivotal year ahead. The island side begin their next T20 World Cup qualification campaign in May with a first-round tournament in Cyprus – one Perchard says they fully expect to win.
“Anything but a win would be a big issue for us. We want to prove that our name is being mentioned for these competitions for a reason and that’s a bog start for us.”
December will bring even higher stakes, with Jersey competing in the final round of ODI qualifiers, where they will bid to retain their ODI status for another three-year cycle.
“The funding increase that comes with that would be incredible and potentially life-changing for some players,” Perchard said. “It’s a massive year, with List A cricket in Qatar as well – another blockbuster season.
“It’s a shame the World Cup isn’t part of it, but there’s still plenty to look forward to.”
Why have Bangladesh withdrawn?
The controversial departure of Bangladesh from the upcoming T20 World Cup came about due to political tensions between them and one of the tournament hosts India, who border each other on India’s north-eastern coast.
This story has some depth to it that requires some context. Bangladesh are an established cricketing nation and, although not one of the top contenders for the title, a side who would always be expected to be seen competing in the event.
However, the tensions between the countries of Bangladesh and India, who border each other on the north-east coast of India, have led to Bangladesh removing themselves from the event due to security concerns over playing their matches in India.
Bangladesh cricket appealed to the ICC (International Cricket Council) to move their matches to fellow tournament hosts Sri Lanka, but were turned down.
Why have Scotland been chosen?
As mentioned previously, the Scots are currently ranked 14th in the world, a placing that would give readers fair thought to think they should have a spot in the 20-team phase of this World Cup.
The 2026 edition of the T20 World Cup begins with 20 teams, split into four groups of five.
However, it has not been decided simply on the top 20 ranked sides, all teams below the ranking of 12th have had to earn their place through qualifying competitions.
These include both Jersey and Scotland, who faced each other alongside fellow hopefuls Guernsey, Italy and Netherlands last July, where hosts Netherlands and the Italians were the sides to progress.
Jersey finished level on points with Italy in third place, but missed out on qualification by an agonising margin on net run rate. Scotland meanwhile finished fourth behind Jersey.
Despite these standings, given the short turn around between Bangladesh’s exit and the beginning of the competition, the ICC made the call to award the final spot to Scotland, taking into consideration also that the Scottish also competed at the previous T20 World Cup back in 2024 hosted in the USA and West Indies.
The 2026 T20 Cricket World Cup is scheduled to begin on Saturday 7 February with a clash between Pakistan and the Netherlands.
