Bangladesh’s decision to stay away from the 2026 T20 World Cup has taken another turn after a government appointed inquiry committee identified former youth and sports adviser Asif Nazrul as the key figure behind the decision.
The three member panel released its findings on Tuesday after examining the circumstances surrounding Bangladesh’s absence from the tournament, which was staged in India and Sri Lanka. The investigation was set up to establish how the decision was reached and to examine the roles played by the authorities involved. The committee was headed by Dr A.K.M. Oli Ullah, additional secretary of the youth and sports ministry’s administration wing. Former Bangladesh captain Habibul Bashar, who is now the country’s chief selector, and Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Faisal Dastgir were the other two members. Among those whose accounts were considered were Bangladesh T20I captain Litton Kumar Das and Test captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, along with officials and other individuals connected to the episode. ‘Bangladesh definitely should have gone to play in the World Cup,’ he added. The inquiry report, however, indicated that the Mustafizur episode involved an Indian domestic competition and should not have been treated as a reason to pull Bangladesh out of an international tournament. The committee also recorded that the decision to keep the national side away was linked to security concerns.
The panel interviewed 12 people as part of its investigation, according to the 22 page report.
‘Based on what emerged from the investigation, our discussions with the relevant people, media reports and everything else, it can be said that the person responsible for not going to the World Cup was then youth and sports adviser Asif Nazrul. The government at the time and he were responsible,’ Faisal said.
Bangladesh had approached the International Cricket Council with a request to move its matches from India to Sri Lanka. The ICC ultimately did not agree to the venue change, with the tournament too close for such a switch, while Bangladesh maintained its position and did not send the team.
