NEW DELHI: Four months after Bangladesh were removed from the 2026 T20 World Cup, the debate over who decided to skip the tournament refuses to die. While former interim sports advisor Asif Nazrul had claimed the players and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) jointly chose not to participate, captain Litton Das has once again rejected that version of events.The controversy began after Bangladesh raised safety concerns about playing in India amid regional tensions. The BCB asked the ICC to move its World Cup matches out of India, but the governing body found no security threat and refused to relocate the fixtures. With neither side backing down, Bangladesh were eventually replaced by Scotland. Speaking to Bangladesh media outlet Prothom Alo, Litton now revealed that players were never involved in any real decision-making process. Referring to a January meeting with government officials, he said the squad viewed it as a formality rather than a consultation.“There was never a question. We only went there to participate and have tea. It was merely a media stunt. So, we too had the same mindset,” he said.According to Litton, players were asked for their views but made it clear they wanted to play in the World Cup. However, concerns about security in India were used to justify the decision already taken by others.To challenge the safety argument, Litton pointed to Bangladesh’s previous tours of Pakistan, where security arrangements were far stricter.“They just asked us what we wanted. Now, as a player, what do you want? We, of course, did not want to fight; we wanted to play cricket. But they questioned safety in India. I said that we played cricket in Pakistan, where they used to stand with guns outside the room. What could be more dangerous than that? But this was their call; we had no say as players,” he said.
Should sports teams prioritize player input in decisions regarding participation in international competitions?
When reminded that Asif had blamed players and the BCB for the boycott, Litton responded with a smile: “Does he hold any post now? That is why he said those things.”
