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Bangladesh Test captain Najmul Hossain Shanto slammed Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) director M Najmul Islam for his comment about former captain Tamim Iqbal. The BCB director faced heavy criticism after calling Tamim an “Indian agent” after Tamim urged the BCB to prioritise cricket when deciding on T20 World Cup participation. The comment was made in a Facebook post on Thursday, which was later deleted.
Najmul Hossain on the BCB director
The controversy comes amid growing anger in Bangladesh over Mustafizur Rahman being left out of the IPL. At the same time, Bangladesh has remained firm on its decision not to travel to India for the T20 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
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"Very sad, very sad because such comments were made about a cricketer—a former captain, and in my opinion one of Bangladesh's most successful cricketers whom we grew up watching," said the Test captain, as quoted by Cricbuzz.
"As players, we expect respect, whether someone is a former captain, a regular player, successful or not. At the end of the day, a cricketer hopes for respect," he added.
"What hurts most is that the cricket board is supposed to be our guardian. We expect them to protect us. As a player, I cannot accept such a comment," he said.
"Parents should correct you at home, not in front of everyone. So such a comment from someone who is supposed to be our guardian is very difficult to accept. I completely reject it as a player," he concluded.
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BCB Contacts ICC Again
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has sent a second letter to the ICC, raising specific security concerns about travelling to India for the upcoming T20 World Cup. The board also repeated its request to move Bangladesh’s matches to Sri Lanka. The tournament is scheduled to start on February 7, with Bangladesh scheduled to play four matches in India.
Tensions grew after Mustafizur Rahman was released from the IPL on instructions from the BCCI, citing unspecified developments, which led Bangladesh to refuse travel.
The situation has sparked ongoing communication between the BCB and the ICC. While the ICC is seeking more information about the security concerns, it has stayed publicly silent on the matter.
Bangladesh T20 World Cup 2026 schedule
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| February 7, 2026 | West Indies vs Bangladesh | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 3:00 PM |
| February 9, 2026 | Bangladesh vs Italy | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 11:00 AM |
| February 14, 2026 | England vs Bangladesh | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 3:00 PM |
| February 17, 2026 | Nepal vs Bangladesh | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 7:00 PM |
Bangladesh squad for T20 World Cup 2026
Litton Das (C), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Saif Hassan, Tawhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Quazi Nurul Hasan Sohan, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Taskin Ahmed, Shaif Uddin, Shoriful Islam
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