Bangladesh coach accuses Asif Nazrul of misleading nation over T20 World Cup 2026 row

Bangladesh assistant coach Mohammad Salahuddin has targeted former sports advisor Asif Nazrul over the mishandling of the T20 World Cup 2026 fiasco. Salahuddin also stated that Nazrul falsely claimed the decision to boycott the tournament came from the players and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).

After Mustafizur Rahman was removed from IPL 2026, Bangladesh refused to travel to India, citing security concerns, and asked for their matches to be moved to Sri Lanka, one of the co-hosts. The ICC rejected the request and removed Bangladesh from the tournament, replacing them with Scotland.

Asif Nazrul had said the Bangladesh government made the decision. However, just before stepping down from his role, he made a U-turn and stated the decision was made by the players and the BCB.

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He Told Such Blatant Lies - Bangladesh Coach Mohammad Salahuddin Accuses Asif Nazrul

Mohammad Salahuddin accused Asif Nazrul of changing his story on Bangladesh’s stance for the T20 World Cup 2026. He added that such statements damaged trust within the team and made the situation harder for everyone involved.

"He told such blatant lies," said Salahuddin, as quoted by Cricbuzz "I am a teacher myself, and teachers generally lie a bit less. That he would say such lies so openly - I honestly can't even imagine it. How will I even show my face in front of the boys? He took such a U-turn."

"He is a teacher, and a teacher at Dhaka University. A person from the highest educational institution of my country saying such lies - we can't accept this. How can we accept this? He said one thing earlier and later took a U-turn."

Two of My Players Went Numb for Days - Mohammad Salahuddin

Mohammad Salahuddin said the decision to miss the World Cup affected the players. He stated that many cricketers were heartbroken, as playing in a World Cup is a dream. He revealed that two players were left completely numb for days after the decision.

"Look, when a boy goes to play a World Cup, he carries his dream - his 27-year-old dream - with him. 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. Personally, you completely ended a boy's dream. I know that two of my players went numb for days, completely lost," said Salahuddin.

If Things Had Been Communicated Properly... - Mohammad Salahuddin

Mohammad Salahuddin said that helping the players return to the field and perform again was the biggest success of his coaching career. He stated that clearer communication would have made the situation easier for the players to accept.

"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 they came back onto the field and scored runs again. A person dreams for many years of playing a World Cup. Money is a factor, but it's a small one. What really matters is the World Cup he has dreamed about all his life - he wanted to play that World Cup," Salahuddin said.

"Look, for the sake of the country, I'm also ready to sacrifice many things, and the boys are ready too. But did I put my hand on a boy's head and say, 'Son, you couldn't play because of this'? If things had been communicated properly, I think many things could have been accepted," he added.

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