Bangladesh decided not to participate in the T20 World Cup, citing security concerns in India, making it the first time for the country's national team skip a series. Following the Bangladesh Cricket Board's(BCB) decision, ICC excluded the country.
The decision has since triggered questions over who was responsible for refusing participation: the Bangladesh Cricket Board, the interim government, or the players.
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Bangladesh T20 World Cup boycott
On January 21, the ICC asked Bangladesh to communicate its final decision regarding participation. After the meeting, Bangladesh Cricket Board President Aminul Islam Bulbul told reporters that the government had not granted permission for the team to travel to India for the World Cup.
Bangladesh’s sports adviser Asif Nazrul stated that the authorities would remain firm in their decision. However, a few days later, there were indications of a shift in position. Amid the conflicting statements, questions intensified over where the final call originated.
Players express frustration over decision
A Bangladesh cricketer, speaking anonymously to The Daily Star, described the situation as "funny." Another player said, "You heard what he said!"
The player also added, "What can we say, we have no one. We are helpless. We don’t know what to say since we had no hand in this. Many things don’t need to be verbalised to be understood. We didn’t get any help from any side."
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Nazrul's statement has prompted surprise amongst the BCB officials as well. One BCB official stated, "He had said something different before and is saying something else now. He himself had declared previously that the team will not go."
The players were called to a meeting between the Bangladesh Cricket Board and government representatives. With the responsibility now being informally attributed to them, some players have expressed dissatisfaction over how the situation has unfolded. According to the cricketers, they were not consulted during discussions but were informed of the decision later.
