Former opener Tamim Iqbal has sharply criticized the former Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) administration for mishandling the 2026 T20 World Cup row, which led to Bangladesh's withdrawal.
Tamim stated the International Cricket Council (ICC) was lenient and a solution was possible, noting that the poor handling and lack of dialogue unfairly robbed players of a World Cup opportunity.
Notably, BCB had made a plea to relocate their matches to Sri Lanka citing ‘security concerns’ for their players in India, following diplomatic tensions between two nations and the release of Mustafizur Rahman by IPL franchise KKR on BCCI’s instructions.
However, the ICC turned down the request, saying no such verifiable threat existed while also stating the logistical difficulty of altering the schedule close to the global showpiece. Bangladesh maintained their stand and were later replaced by Scotland in the 20-team tournament.
"I was probably the first to speak out when the (T20) World Cup issue happened. What was done, how it was handled by the previous Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) administration, was not right. The ICC was lenient, there was room to find a solution. We should have found it," Tamim said while speaking to The Indian Express.
Tamin also reflected on the emotional significance of the 1997 ICC trophy victory against Kenya that led to Bangladesh's qualification for the 1999 World Cup.
"Let me go back to 1996-97, how much we fought to win that ICC trophy against Kenya just to qualify for the World Cup. My house was floating in coloured water. People celebrated in the streets. That celebration brought kids into cricket, everybody wanted to be Minhajul Abedin Nannu, Khaled Mashud, Akram Khan. And we gave away a World Cup without even having a proper dialogue. There might be players in that squad who will never play in a World Cup again. That I did not take nicely," he added.
Tamim Iqbal, who is currently serving as the interim president of BCB, highlighted his familiarity with current BCCI president Mithun Manhas, having played with him in the IPL and Dhaka leagues.
Tamim stated that Bangladesh's security is currently "absolutely brilliant" and presents no issues for the Indian team.
"Regarding BCCI, I have played a lot of cricket with (current BCCI president) Mithun Manhas. In the IPL, we were in the same team, he has come to Bangladesh many times to play in Dhaka leagues. Very good rapport. I haven't had the chance to sit with him in this capacity yet, but I know him well," Tamim said.
"The country's security is absolutely brilliant at the moment. There is no issue, no security threat, and it has never been for the Indian cricket team. When India comes here, the whole stadium is packed. People love that contest. I personally don't think BCB and BCCI have any real issues anymore. A series here would be a great way to take the next step forward," he remarked.
