Bangladesh backstab Mohsin Naqvi, plead with India to revive broken cricket friendship

Bangladesh have shown a willingness to improve relations with India after the issues that came up during the T20 World Cup 2026. The country’s new State Minister for Youth and Sports, Aminul Haque, said that the government wants to sort out the problems from the tournament and keep friendly ties with India.

Bangladesh did not take part in the T20 World Cup 2026 after the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus decided not to send the national cricket team, citing security concerns. Relations between Bangladesh and India have worsened since Yunus came to power after the student movement in July 2024.

We Want to Maintain Friendly Relations - Bangladesh Extend Friendly Hand to India

Aminul Haque, a former captain and goalkeeper of the Bangladesh national football team, has taken charge after the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) secured a landslide win in the recent state elections.

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After the oath ceremony on Tuesday, February 17, Haque met India’s Deputy High Commissioner at the Parliament building. He said that the goal is to build honest and warm ties with India across sports and other sectors as well.

“After attending the oath-taking ceremony today, I met with the Deputy High Commissioner of India at the Parliament building. I discussed this matter (T20 World Cup issue) with him," Aminul said after his swearing-in program on Wednesday, as quoted by Cricbuzz.

“He was very friendly, and I also spoke to him in a friendly manner. I told him that we want to resolve this issue quickly through discussions because we want to maintain friendly relations with all our neighboring countries. From sports to all other sectors, we want to build a sincere and cordial relationship."

We Could Not Play in the World Cup Because of Diplomatic Issues - Aminul Haque

The International Cricket Council did not accept Bangladesh’s explanation for security concerns and later replaced them with Scotland. There were concerns that Bangladesh was moving closer to Pakistan under the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus.

Aminul Haque admitted that diplomatic issues played a key role. He said that Bangladesh could not take part in the World Cup because of those complications and added that earlier discussions might have allowed the team to participate.

“You know that because of diplomatic complications, we could not play in the World Cup," Aminul said. “If those issues had been discussed and settled earlier, our team might have participated."

Shakib Al Hasan and Mashrafe Mortaza Are Legendary Cricketers - Aminul Haque

Aminul Haque said that the government will work toward resolving the legal cases involving former Bangladesh captains Shakib Al Hasan and Mashrafe Mortaza. He stated that the cases must be settled at the state level before they can resume any involvement in the sport.

"As for Shakib and Mashrafe, this is a state-level decision. They are legendary cricketers of Bangladesh, and we deeply appreciate their contributions. However, there are cases filed against them, and those will need to be addressed through proper state decisions. We want them to return to Bangladesh as soon as possible," said Aminul.

Also read: Rishabh Pant ruled out of IPL 2026? Official medical bulletin issued