Bangladesh to boycott T20 World Cup

Dubai: Bangladesh have decided to boycott the T20 World Cup following a high-level meeting, citing ongoing security concerns.

Youth and Sports Advisor Asif Nazrul said Bangladesh were eager to participate in the tournament, but only if it was held in Sri Lanka. “We all wanted to play in the World Cup. However, we have observed that the security threat in India has not diminished. The ICC has not taken a firm stance on the core issue and has only reiterated its standard security protocols. We are still hopeful that the ICC will find a solution,” he said after the meeting.

Nazrul made it clear that the decision is final. “There is no scope to change our decision. We believe we have not received justice from the ICC, though we continue to hope that the ICC will do justice to us,” he said following discussions with Bangladesh players and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) officials.

He further stressed that Bangladesh’s concerns are based on real events. “The security situation in India remains unchanged. Our concerns did not arise out of thin air; they stem from a real incident. The country could not ensure the security of one of our cricketers. In India, the cricket board is an extension of the government, which either failed or was unwilling to protect one of our players when extremist groups applied pressure,” Nazrul added.

Scotland, the highest-ranked team that narrowly missed qualification, are likely to replace Bangladesh at the tournament. There is historical precedent, as Scotland benefited from a similar situation in 2009 when Zimbabwe withdrew.

Earlier, Bangladesh captain Litton Das revealed that the players were not consulted before the decision was made. “I don’t know. No one has spoken to me,” Das said when asked whether the board had discussed the matter with him.