'BCB Fell Into Anti-India Trap': Bangladesh's T20 World Cup Fiasco Explained By Ex-Star

Positive talks are underway between India and Bangladesh to revive cricketing ties, months after the T20 World Cup fiasco. Bangladesh did not travel to India for the T20 World Cup earlier this year after their request to shift matches to Sri Lanka was rejected by the International Cricket Council (ICC). Anti-India hardliner Asif Nazrul, the erstwhile interim government's Sports Advisor, reportedly held the then BCB chief Aminul Islam Bulbul hostage, preventing the national team from traveling to India for the showpiece event.

Former Asian Cricket Council (ACC) CEO Ashraful Haque has slammed Nazrul and Aminul, who was recently removed from his post by the BCB, over Bangladesh's withdrawal from the T20 World Cup.

Haque criticised Aminul for falling into Nazrul's trap and accused the then-interim Sports Advisor of riding on anti-India sentiments in Bangladesh during that time to further a political agenda.

"Absolutely, absolutely, and I was surprised that Aminul Islam Bulbul walked into the trap. It's like Asif Nazrul probably told him forcefully that we will not go to India, and right in the next minute, Bulbul says, "We will not go to India." That was a mistake, I think and had Bulbul stood up on his grounds that "we will go to India, because the players want to go to India and we have signed a legal agreement with the organisers that we have to fulfil"," Ashraful said.

Haque suggested that the decision to boycott the tournament was a huge disappointment for Bangladesh cricket.

"Then maybe the government would have changed its mind, or it would have gone to a higher authority for the decision. I think Asif Nazrul decided on his own, and I don't think he understands the CEO of cricket either. He was riding on a common anti-India feeling in Bangladesh and said it on the basis of that. Completely uncalled for and a big setback for Bangladesh cricket," he added.

Nazrul had initially stated that it was the government's decision not to send the team for the tournament, citing safety concerns. However, he later claimed that the decision to withdraw from the T20 World Cup was made by the players and coaches of the national team.

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