"I Was Abused": Ex-Pakistan Coach Jason Gillespie Deletes T20 World Cup Row Tweet

Former Australia fast bowler and ex-Pakistan head coach Jason Gillespie has opened up about his decision to delete a social media post regarding the recent exclusion of Bangladesh from the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. The former cricketer revealed that he removed the post from X (formerly Twitter) after becoming a target of online abuse for what he described as an attempt to seek more information on the matter. The conversation began when Gillespie took to social media to express his curiosity regarding the International Cricket Council's (ICC) decision-making process. Bangladesh were recently replaced by Scotland for the T20 World Cup 2026 after its board reportedly expressed concerns about travelling to India and requested their matches be moved to a neutral venue, such as Sri Lanka.

In his now-deleted post, Gillespie had asked: "Has there been an explanation from the ICC why Bangladesh could not play their games outside of India? From memory, India refused to play Champions Trophy matches in Pakistan and they were allowed to play those games outside of Pakistan. Can someone make this make sense?"

Gillespie's query appeared to be aimed at understanding the criteria used for shifting matches, noting that similar arrangements had been made for other teams in the past.

Following the post, the 50-year-old was met with a wave of hostile comments, prompting him to take the post down. When a social media user asked why he had deleted the enquiry, Gillespie said: "Because I got abused for asking a simple question, that's why".

Because I got abused for asking a simple question that's why.

— Jason Gillespie (@dizzy259) January 25, 2026

The ICC officially confirmed Scotland as a replacement for Bangladesh on Saturday, following a breakdown in negotiations with the BCB. In a detailed statement, the governing body explained that the decision was made to preserve the "sanctity of the tournament schedule" after an extensive three-week dialogue.

In a statement, the ICC said: "The ICC reviewed the concerns cited by the BCB, commissioned and considered independent security assessments from internal and external experts, and shared detailed security and operational plans covering federal and state arrangements, as well as enhanced and escalating security protocols for the event. These assurances were reiterated at several stages, including during discussions involving the ICC Business Corporation (IBC) Board."

"The ICC's assessments concluded that there was no credible or verifiable security threat to the Bangladesh national team, officials or supporters in India."

Topics mentioned in this article

Jason Gillespie Pakistan Cricket Team International Cricket Council Bangladesh Cricket Board Bangladesh Cricket Team T20 World Cup 2026 Cricket