Bangladesh national team senior assistant coach Mohammad Salahuddin has launched a fierce attack on former Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul, accusing him of “telling blatant lies” over his shifting explanations surrounding the country’s withdrawal from the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Speaking at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Thursday, Salahuddin expressed anger at what he described as contradictory public statements that left players hurt and disillusioned.
“He told such blatant lies,” Salahuddin said. “I myself am a teacher; teachers generally lie a bit less. That he would say such lies so openly—I honestly can’t even imagine it. How will I show my face in front of the boys? He is a teacher at Dhaka University. A person from the highest educational institution of my country telling such lies—we can’t accept this.”
The row stems from Bangladesh’s decision not to travel to India for the T20 World Cup, officially communicated on 4 January 2026.
On 22 January, following a meeting with cricketers in Dhaka, Nazrul stated unequivocally that the withdrawal had been a government decision based on security concerns.
“Considering security risks, the decision not to play the World Cup in India was taken by our government,” he had said at the time.
However, on 10 February, Nazrul altered his position, claiming the move had been a voluntary “sacrifice” by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the players in the interests of national dignity and security.
The apparent U-turn triggered widespread criticism within cricketing circles. On 12 February, Nazrul attempted to clarify his remarks, describing his earlier comments as the result of an “unprepared conversation”, though he continued to praise the players for supporting the country’s stance.
Salahuddin, however, insisted the damage had already been done.
“He said one thing earlier and later took a U-turn,” the coach added.
Moving beyond the political controversy, Salahuddin highlighted the emotional impact on the players.
“When a boy goes to play in a World Cup, he brings his dream — his 27-year-old dream — there,” he said. “You destroy that dream in one second. Fine, if it’s a country’s decision taken for national reasons, they will sacrifice for the country. But if you talk about loss, I will talk only about personal loss.”
According to the coach, two players were left deeply affected by the withdrawal.
“I know that two of my players went into a kind of coma — mentally — for five days, completely lost,” he revealed. “The fact that we were able to bring them back onto the field in this tournament is itself a big thing. I think this is the biggest success of my coaching life — that he came back and scored runs again.”
He stressed that financial implications were secondary to the emotional impact.
“Money is a factor, but it’s a small factor. What really matters is that the World Cup he has dreamed about all his life, he wanted to play that World Cup.”
Bangladesh’s withdrawal paved the way for Scotland to replace them in the tournament. It marks the first time in three decades that Bangladesh will not participate in a World Cup, and their first-ever absence from a T20 World Cup.
The timeline of events has further fuelled debate. On 20 January, national captain Liton Kumar Das said at a press conference that players had not been consulted before or after the initial decision. Eighteen days after the official withdrawal, Nazrul met the squad, reiterating that the decision had been taken by the government.
