Former ACC CEO Ashraful Haque slammed Bangladesh sports advisor Asif Nazrul and ex-BCB chief Aminul Islam Bulbul for the country’s T20 World Cup 2026 fiasco. Bangladesh withdrew from the T20 World Cup, citing security concerns regarding playing in India after a diplomatic standoff. The BCB asked for their group matches to be shifted to co-host Sri Lanka, but the ICC rejected the request. Meanwhile, Scotland were slotted in as their replacements.
Speaking to Revsportz, Haque blamed Bulbul for falling into Nazrul’s trap and accused the sports advisor of riding on anti-India sentiment in Bangladesh. Initially, Nazrul had claimed that the decision to withdraw was a government decision due to security concerns.
‘Walked into trap’
But then he made a U-turn from his original claim, stating that the decision was made by the BCB chief and the national team players.
“Absolutely, absolutely, and I was surprised that Aminul Islam Bulbul walked into the trap. It’s like Asif Nazrul probably told him forcefully that we will not go to India, and right in the next minute, Bulbul says, “We will not go to India.” That was a mistake, I think and had Bulbul stood up on his grounds that “we will go to India, because the players want to go to India and we have signed a legal agreement with the organisers that we have to fulfil”,” he said.
“Then maybe the government would have changed its mind, or it would have gone to a higher authority for the decision. I think Asif Nazrul decided on his own, and I don’t think he understands the CEO of cricket either. He was riding on a common anti-India feeling in Bangladesh and said it on the basis of that. Completely uncalled for and a big setback for Bangladesh cricket,” he added.
Although Bangladesh were initially expected to be fined for pulling out, the ICC later stated there would be no punishment. Also, the country will host an ICC event prior to the 2031 ODI World Cup, which it co-hosts with India.
The entire withdrawal controversy arose after the BCCI removed pacer Mustafizur Rahman from IPL 2026, amid crumbling political relations between India and Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s decision also got support from Pakistan, which initially stated that it would boycott its group stage game against India. But then the Pakistan government made a U-turn from their original decision.
