Bangladesh players left frustrated after Nazrul shifts T20 World Cup blame

Bangladesh’s Sports Advisor Asif Nazrul has sparked fresh controversy after changing his stance on why the country missed the T20 World Cup.

Bangladesh were replaced by Scotland for the tournament by the ICC after they refused to travel to India. At the time, it was widely believed that the government had decided to do so because of security concerns.

Last month, Nazrul himself had said that the call not to play in India was the government’s, citing safety risks. But on Tuesday, he appeared to shift the responsibility to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the players.

“The decision was made by the Bangladesh Cricket Board and the cricketers. They themselves made sacrifices for the safety of the country’s cricket and its people,” Nazrul said.

Cricketers on Asif Nazrul's stance

His comments have not gone down well with the players. Several cricketers have expressed frustration, saying they were never consulted about the decision and were willing to travel to India for the World Cup. They understood how important the tournament was, especially considering how much of Bangladesh cricket’s income comes from the ICC.

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According to reports, the players’ opinions were not taken into account during discussions. That is why Nazrul’s remarks have left many of them shocked.

“That was funny,” one cricketer told The Daily Star on condition of anonymity.

Another player said, “You heard what he said. What can we say? We have no one. We feel helpless. We didn’t have any role in this decision. Some things are understood without being said. We did not receive support from anyone.”

Later, Nazrul tried to clear the confusion. He said that since early January, he had consistently maintained that the decision not to participate in the World Cup in India was taken by the government due to security concerns.

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Aminul Islam to travel to Colombo to break ice with BCCI

Notably, BCB chief Aminul Islam said that he will travel to Colombo to watch the India-Pakistan T20 World Cup clash which is scheduled to take place on February 15. He wants to break ice with the BCCI after tense exchanges over the past few weeks.

Speaking to Bangladesh newspaper 'Pratham Alo', Islam said the invitation for the high-profile game has come from the ICC.

"The ICC has taken a decision. The major stakeholders of the ICC are these five Asian countries and for the India-Pakistan World Cup match on the 15th, they want representatives of all five Asian countries to be present at the ground together, watch the match together and talk to one another," Islam said.