The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) formed an interim committee and appointed a former captain. Tamim Iqbal as its head. Addressing the controversy surrounding Bangladesh’s exclusion from the T20 World Cup 2026, Tamim admitted that the previous BCB administration had mishandled the situation and expressed disappointment over how the country lost its place in the tournament.While India celebrated a historic third T20 World Cup title, Bangladesh endured one of the darkest chapters in their cricketing history after crashing out of the competition. The controversy started when Bangladesh’s pes… Mustafizur Rehman Withdrawn from the Kolkata Knight Riders squad amid rising religious tensions in Bangladesh. Concerned about the safety of the players, the BCB requested the ICC to shift Bangladesh’s matches from India to Sri Lanka. However, with the tournament schedule already finalized, the ICC rejected the proposal due to logistical complications, resulting in Bangladesh’s elimination.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Tamim criticized the handling of the issue by the former BCB management and felt that there was still plenty of room for dialogue and compromise.Tamim said, “I was probably the first person who spoke about the T20 World Cup issue. The way it was handled by the previous BCB management was not right. The ICC was lenient and there was room to find a solution.”The former Bangladesh captain also reflected emotionally on Bangladesh’s cricket journey and what World Cup qualification means for the country. He recalled the celebrations after Bangladesh qualified for the 1999 World Cup by winning the ICC Trophy in 1997.“People celebrated in the streets. This win inspired a whole generation to play cricket. Everyone wanted to be Minhajul Abedin Nanu, Khalid Mashhood or Akram Khan. And then we gave the opportunity to the World Cup without a proper discussion. There could be players in this squad who might never get a chance to play in the World Cup, and that pained me a lot.”Tamim also spoke about the relationship with Bangladesh. BCCIInsisting that the relationship between the two boards remains healthy. He revealed that he has a strong personal relationship with current BCCI president Mithun Minhas, having played with him in the IPL and domestic leagues.Tamim said, “I know Mithun Minhas well. We played together in the IPL and he has visited Bangladesh many times for Dhaka League cricket. I haven’t met him formally in this role yet, but we have a very good relationship.”He further assured that Bangladesh remains a safe destination for international cricket and hoped that India would visit the country again soon.At present, the security situation in Bangladesh is quite good. There is no risk, especially for the Indian cricket team. Whenever India visits Bangladesh, stadiums are packed because people love this rivalry. I personally believe that there is no real problem between BCB and BCCI anymore, and a bilateral series in Bangladesh will be a big step forward.”
