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Bangladesh's sports advisor Asif Nazrul has taken a dramatic U-turn on his earlier statements. Nazrul claimed that it was the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and players' decision to boycott T20 World Cup 2026 after the International Cricket Council (ICC) rejected their request to shift games out of India. He lauded the players for making the sacrifice for their country.
“There is no question of regret. This decision was taken by the BCB and the players, as they made sacrifices for the safety of the country’s cricket, the safety of the people, and to protect national dignity,” Asif told reporters on February 10.
Earlier, it was the government that instructed BCB to write a letter to the ICC seeking shifting out their matches from India. The uproar in Bangladesh was a result of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) instructing Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Mustafizur Rahman from their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 squad. Bangladesh government also told the country’s Information & Broadcasting ministry to suspend IPL’s telecast.
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What Nazrul said a few weeks earlier?
While the players wanted to play in the T20 World Cup 2026, Nazrul had said that it was entirely a government decision.
“The purpose of the meeting was simply to explain to the players why the government took this decision and give them the context. I believe they understood. That was the purpose — nothing else,” Asif had said on January 22.
“I think we did not get justice from the ICC. Whether we will play in the World Cup or not is entirely a government decision,” he had added.
Nazrul salutes BCB
On February 10, after a meeting with the ICC and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium, it was decided that BCB will face no sanctions. In addition, they will get hosting rights for an ICC event in the next cycle. Nazrul considers it as a 'brilliant achievement' of the board.
“The ICC has said there will be no sanctions and that Bangladesh will be considered for hosting an international tournament. This is a brilliant achievement. I salute the Bangladesh Cricket Board,” Asif added.
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