Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Tamim Iqbal believes Bangladesh should have competed at the 2026 T20 World Cup and taken a more measured approach to the negotiations that preceded its withdrawal.
Bangladesh ultimately missed the tournament after declining to travel to India for its group-stage matches over security concerns, with Scotland replacing the team, as previously reported by cricexec. The decision followed the controversy surrounding Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman, who was released by Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of the Indian Premier League on the BCCI’s directions, as previously reported by cricexec.
Iqbal questions Bangladesh’s handling of World Cup dispute
The episode unfolded against strained relations between Bangladesh and India, bringing the Mustafizur controversy and Bangladesh’s participation in the global tournament into the same dispute.
BCB President Tamim Iqbal told sports platform Not Out Noman: “I feel that we could have negotiated the thing much better. Look, Mustafizur’s issue was obviously something that the whole country was disappointed with. And I say today as well, I said that day too, it should never have happened. This was in no way the right thing to do, this should never have been done.”
Bangladesh had qualified for the tournament before the dispute resulted in its absence. Iqbal added: “But we are going to play a World Cup. Every single person in Bangladesh celebrated like anything when we first qualified for the World Cup. It may be that now every two years a T20 World Cup happens, or every four years it happens, but it is a World Cup Bangladesh is going to represent.”
The negotiations became another focus of Iqbal’s assessment of the episode. He said: “So, I feel we probably could have dealt with it better. We went to a point of no return right from the beginning.”
Iqbal keeps negotiation details private
Iqbal now represents the BCB at the ICC, giving him access to details of the discussions that took place over Bangladesh’s World Cup participation.
Iqbal noted: “I am saying this, I am in the ICC now, I am an ICC member because of BCB. There were a lot of things said and done during those negotiations, which, if I make public, you will be surprised.”
He has chosen not to disclose further details of those exchanges.
Iqbal argues for separating sport from wider disputes
Iqbal also set out a broader position on how sporting matters should be handled when they become entangled with issues beyond the game.
He said: “If you go to a point of no return on the very first day, then that (solution) won’t happen. And I feel in some cases, sports should remain as sports.”
Without addressing specific questions about which countries should travel or where matches should be staged, Iqbal said sporting issues can sometimes become intertwined with other matters.
Iqbal ultimately set out the course he believes Bangladesh should have taken. He stated: “We should have definitely played the World Cup. We should have definitely done the negotiation in a better way. And that’s it, I cannot say many things even though I know them.”
Scotland replaced Bangladesh at the World Cup
Bangladesh’s refusal to travel to India resulted in the team losing its place at the 2026 T20 World Cup, with Scotland taking its place in the competition.
The replacement left Bangladesh outside the tournament after it had initially qualified, with Scotland ultimately taking the vacant place in the field.
