- By Vishal Pushkar
- Fri, 23 Jan 2026 01:06 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
In a staggering development to Bangladesh's T20 World Cup fiasco, a report has revealed that players were reportedly not ‘asked’ for their consent on the Cricket Board (BCB)’s decision to withdraw from the marquee tournament. Notably, Bangladesh on Thursday announced that their Senior Men's side won't feature in the tournament after the ICC (International Cricket Council) rejected their demand to shift matches out of India due to 'safety concerns'.
As per a report by Cricbuzz, the 'discussion' between the players and the BCB's Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul was a 'namesake' in reality. Notably, the players were hoping to see if the 'rigid' stance of the BCB and Nazrul could be changed after a meaningful discussion; however, the outcome of the meeting was already decided.
The report also stated that Litton Das and Najmul Hossain Shanto, skippers of the T20I and Test sides of Bangladesh, respectively, spoke in favour of traveling to India. However, the BCB remained adamant about a certain security threat to the players.
“The meeting was called not to give our consent as it was made out to be initially," the report cited a cricketer as saying on the condition of anonymity. “Rather, we were called so that we are aware of the development in the ongoing crisis. They made up their mind and decided what they will do before coming into the meeting, and it’s not like any decision was taken taking our views into consideration."
Direct Order From The Government
“They didn’t ask. They made the plan directly and said it’s not happening. Earlier, they would sit with us and hear us out. But now, they’ve already said we’re not going," the quoted cricketer said. “The thing is, Bangladesh’s government call was already made and nothing else but that’s the real story. It was a direct order from the government – it’s not happening."
Players Understand: Asif Nazrul
The Sports Adviser, Nazrul, was asked if the players, who have repeatedly pleaded for an amicable solution that takes into account their welfare, have been brought on board for a boycott of the premier tournament.
"We met with the players to explain the context and the government's reasoning behind this decision. As this was a privileged communication, the specifics of what the players said will not be disclosed to allow them to speak freely, but they seemed to understand the situation," Nazrul responded.
"Bangladesh is a populous, cricket-loving nation with nearly 200 million fans. If the ICC fails to accommodate us, it will be a significant loss for world cricket and a failure for the host country," he said.
Inputs from Agency