Bangladesh’s decision not to participate in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup, despite being eligible to compete, has sparked controversy, with former Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) General Secretary Ashraful Haque describing the situation as a “grand conspiracy” orchestrated by Pakistan.
According to sources, the Bangladesh government maintained its position not to send the national team to India for the tournament, even after multiple rounds of discussions with the International Cricket Council (ICC) and other stakeholders.
The controversy began after pacer Mustafizur Rahman was reportedly dropped from the Indian Premier League (IPL). Expressing dissatisfaction over the decision, Bangladesh declined to travel to India for the World Cup. Following the standoff, the ICC conducted a vote and decided to replace Bangladesh with another team in the tournament. Scotland was eventually included in Bangladesh’s place.
Speaking on the matter, Ashraful Haque directly blamed Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi. He alleged that Naqvi, who currently serves as President of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), persuaded then BCB President Aminul Islam not to send the team to India.
“The primary responsibility of a cricket administrator should be honesty and commitment,” Haque said, raising the question: “At the end of the day, who really benefited?”
However, Haque also criticized the decision-making process within Bangladesh. He argued that refusing to participate in a major global tournament solely over Mustafizur Rahman’s IPL exclusion was not justified. According to him, the decision taken by the Bangladesh government—particularly the then sports adviser—was not appropriate.
Bangladesh’s absence from the World Cup could also have significant financial consequences. India is scheduled to tour Bangladesh later this year for a bilateral series. If India decides to cancel the tour, the BCB may face substantial financial losses, according to cricket insiders.
The development has triggered debate within the cricketing community, with many questioning whether political considerations overshadowed sporting priorities in Bangladesh’s withdrawal from one of cricket’s premier global events.
