“Decision was taken by BCB and players”- Bangladesh advisor denies government role in T20 World Cup 2026 boycott

Bangladesh was replaced in T20 WC 2026 by Scotland by ICC after repeated refusals to play in India.

Bangladesh’s withdrawal from the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2026 has gotten a new twist as sports advisor Asif Nazrul has claimed that the decision to do so was taken by Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the players, not by the government.

The ICC replaced Bangladesh with Scotland after the Tigers refused to travel to India, citing security concerns. This had stemmed from BCCI ordering ace Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman’s removal from the KKR IPL 2026 squad. This was done after protests over his inclusion, given the reported atrocities being committed on minority Hindu religious communities in Bangladesh.

The BCB had written to the ICC, requesting that their matches be moved to Sri Lanka, but the governing body denied the request. After weeks of negotiations, with neither side backing down, the ICC made the decisive decision to exclude Bangladesh from the competition.

However, Asif had insisted last month that the BCB had no choice but to accept the Bangladeshi government's tough position. At about the same time, Litton Das and a number of other players disclosed that they were not contacted during the BCB and ICC standoff. Later, Asif met with the players to outline the government's stance.

“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. 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,” Asif had said on January 22.

But over three weeks later, Asif changed his mind, claiming that the players and the board decided to forgo the World Cup.

“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 Tuesday.

His remarks were made the day after the ICC called Bangladesh's elimination from the competition "unfortunate" and promised that the BCB would not face any penalties. Bangladesh would be considered to host an ICC event in the 2028–2031 cycle, the governing body further said.

(PTI inputs)