Bangladesh sports adviser Asif Nazrul has sparked fresh controversy after claiming the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the national squad — not the government — decided to forgo the T20 World Cup in India. Nazrul’s new line directly contradicts his own earlier comments and has amplified questions about who actually called the shots in Dhaka’s most consequential cricket decision in years.

In January, after a meeting with the players, Nazrul was unequivocal: whether Bangladesh would take part in the World Cup was “entirely” a government decision.

“The purpose of the meeting was simply to explain to the players why the government took this decision and to provide context,” he told reporters then. Fast-forward to his latest remarks and the narrative has shifted: Nazrul now says the BCB and captain Litton Das agreed to “sacrifice” their World Cup dream to “protect national dignity” and safeguard the country’s interests.

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That flip-flop matters because it reshapes accountability. If the board and players made the call, critics ask why the BCB did not pursue stronger dialogue with the ICC earlier or provide transparent evidence of the security concerns it cited. If the government led the decision, as Nazrul originally suggested, questions remain about political intervention in sporting affairs and the handling of player welfare and commercial fallout.

The International Cricket Council responded to Bangladesh’s refusal by commissioning an independent security assessment and ultimately replacing the side with Scotland — a move that drew sharp reactions across South Asia.

Nazrul, however, framed the outcome as a diplomatic win, noting the ICC’s assurances of no sanctions and the prospect of future hosting opportunities for Bangladesh. He praised the BCB, calling the episode a “brilliant achievement.”

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Regardless of wording, the episode has immediate consequences: lost World Cup exposure for players, commercial damage for the board, and strained relations with the ICC and co-hosts. It also leaves fans and stakeholders demanding clarity. For Bangladesh cricket, the priority should be resolving the mixed messaging quickly — with transparent communication about who made the decision, why it was taken, and how the board will restore trust with players, partners and supporters moving forward.