In a dramatic reversal that has stunned the cricket world, Asif Nazrul, Bangladesh’s youth and sports adviser, has claimed the decision for Bangladesh to skip the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 was made by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the players, not the interim government as he previously stated.
Bangladesh’s absence from the marquee event, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, has been one of the most talked-about stories of the tournament build-up. Initially, Nazrul asserted that the government had taken the unprecedented step of withdrawing the national team due to security and diplomatic concerns amid political tensions following the removal of star pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL. He had emphasized that safety and national dignity were at stake.
About-Face on Who Made the Call
However, Nazrul appeared to soften or contradict his earlier stance, stating that the choice to pull out of the World Cup was not solely a government directive. According to Nazrul, it was the BCB and the players themselves who ultimately decided against participation, citing sacrifices they made for the safety of Bangladesh cricket and to uphold national dignity.
This new account comes weeks after Bangladesh’s initial announcement that they would not travel to India for their fixtures, a decision that eventually led the International Cricket Council (ICC) to replace them with Scotland in the tournament line-up.
With the T20 World Cup underway and Bangladesh absent, the repercussions of this saga, both on the team’s morale and Bangladesh cricket’s international standing, continue to unfold.
