BCB finds person responsible for T20 World Cup withdrawal drama [Source: AFP]Months after Bangladesh withdrew from the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, a BCB investigation committee that was formed to review the matter has found a culprit. The committee found that the board and government worked in unison to deny the team permission to travel to India for the ICC event.The ICC T20 World Cup 2026 was held in India in the month of February. However, weeks before the tournament’s commencement, Bangladesh decided to pull out, citing security reasons.Later, the ICC replaced Bangladesh with Scotland, and the tournament went ahead as planned, as the Tigers faced massive embarrassment for creating unnecessary ruckus.BCB finds culprit of T20 World Cup fiascoMeanwhile, in the aftermath of the T20 World Cup 2026 turmoil, Bangladesh's Ministry of Youth and Sports set up a 3-member investigation committee headed by Dr A.K.M. Oli Ullah to look into the matter. Former Bangladesh captain and current chief selector Habibul Bashar and barrister Faisal Dastgir were also involved in the inquiry committee. According to the report published, the committee found former youth and sports adviser Asif Nazrul to be the key culprit responsible for Bangladesh's absence from the World Cup. Nazrul led the sports ministry then, meaning he held significant influence over the decision. Interestingly, the report also stated that the BCB supported the decision taken by the sports ministry. So, the BCB was also involved in the process, but the committee has identified Asif Nazrul as the person primarily responsible for the decision. Also Read - Bangladesh Coach Releases Behind The Scenes Of T20 World Cup Exit, Government HumiliatedAsif Nazrul claimed players were consultedInterestingly, Asif Nazrul previously claimed that the Bangladesh players knew about the situation and accepted the decision. But the inquiry committee appears to have rejected the idea that the players should be considered responsible for Bangladesh's withdrawal. That is why Faisal Dastgir specifically said that Bangladesh should have participated in the World Cup.“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,” Dastgir said. How did Tamim Iqbal react to the controversy?Having said that, BCB’s present president Tamim Iqbal criticised the board for the T20 World Cup 2026 withdrawal. He opined that Bangladesh should have handled the controversy differently. He said the country should have negotiated more effectively instead of allowing the dispute to reach a point of no return so quickly. Iqbal also shared that the BCB made a decision driven by public emotion.For context, the BCB’s action came after the BCCI ordered KKR to release Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL 2026 squad due to political tensions between the two nations.The Bangladesh Cricket Board was provoked and acted in haste, leading to global embarrassment.Also Read - “Coward Cricket”: Shreyas Iyer Gets Slammed By The Internet After Bowling First Vs AFG
