A fresh twist has emerged in Bangladesh’s absence from the ongoing T20 World Cup in India. Sports advisor Asif Nazrul has now said that it was the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the men’s team, led by Litton Das, who chose not to take part, describing the decision as a “sacrifice” made to protect national dignity.
His new statement has sparked confusion because it clashes with what he said earlier. After meeting the players in January, Asif Nazrul had clearly told reporters that the final call on whether Bangladesh would play in the World Cup rested entirely with the government. He explained at the time that his meeting with the squad was only to inform them about the government’s decision and the reasons behind it.
According to him, the players understood the situation and that was the sole purpose of the discussion. He had also said that Bangladesh had not received justice from the ICC and repeated that the decision to play or not was fully in the government’s hands.
Now, his stance appears to have changed. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Asif Nazrul insisted that there was no regret about missing the tournament. He said that the decision was taken by the BCB and the players themselves, who chose to step back for the safety of the country’s cricket, the people and to protect national dignity. He also praised the board, claiming that the ICC had assured there would be no sanctions and that Bangladesh would still be considered to host an international tournament, calling it a major achievement.
Bangladesh’s exit came after the BCB refused to travel to India, citing security concerns. The ICC, however, relied on an independent assessment that found no credible threat to Bangladeshi players, officials or fans, and rejected the board’s request to shift their matches to Colombo. With the BCB standing firm, the ICC eventually replaced Bangladesh with Scotland in the tournament.
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