.jpg?type=hq)
AB de Villiers - (Source: X.com)
The last few days have been a rollercoaster for cricket fans as major developments took place in regards to T20 World Cup 2026. Bangladesh, which had requested the ICC to change their venue from India to Sri Lanka, were kicked out of the tournament for unreasonable demand.
Scotland replaced the Tigers, and it led to a massive debate on social media. The internet was divided as a section accusing ICC of biasness. They pointed out that the International Cricket Council adhered to India’s request during the Champions Trophy 2025, but the case is different for Bangladesh.
AB de Villiers’ quotes are floating on the internet
Amid the debate, several pundits and fans have voiced their opinions, and in the latest events, a video of AB de Villiers is doing the rounds on the internet, where it is claimed that the former South Africa batter has requested Jay Shah to reinstate Bangladesh for the T20 World Cup 2026.
“Guys, I don’t want to be biased with this one and want to be on the fence. Its all politics. Its personal, and I don’t have enough information and not well educated enough on this topic to form an opinion. What I know is that its sad and its a bad look on our sport. Whoever is in control and makes decisions, just sort it out. It's really sad, really sad.”
Did AB de Villiers really make these remarks?
Notably, the video was posted by an Insta page 360 frequency. It is a page dedicated to AB de Villiers and shares snippets from his YouTube channel. However, when checked, his last video posted on YouTube was an interview with Shreyanka Patil, which was four days ago, even before Bangladesh was officially ruled out of the tournament.
Further, AB has not posted anything related to Bangladesh’s exit on his Twitter or other social media platforms. Therefore, it is hard to confirm that he actually made these remarks, and the above-video could actually be AI-prompted.
World Cricket Association sides with Bangladesh
While the nature of ABD's video is unknown, but other than him, several other big names have taken a stand for Bangladesh. Recently, World Cricket Association body also sided with Bangladesh.
"The withdrawal of Bangladesh from the T20 World Cup, and resulting absence of a valued cricketing nation from cricket’s pinnacle international T20 event, is a sad moment for our sport, the Bangladesh players and fans, and one that requires deep reflection," remarked WCA head.
"Cricket is at its strongest when every team and every player is treated with respect, supported appropriately and consistently, and able to participate on fair terms. The game is at its best when all participants are genuine contributors to its success," he added.
Interestingly, Bangladesh have seeked Pakistan's support, who are now contemplating whether to boycott the T20 World Cup 2026 or not. Thus, there are chances of PCB betraying BCB.
