The ongoing controversy over Bangladesh playing their matches in India for the T20 World Cup seem to have affected the players too. Their participation in the tournament remains uncertain after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) refused to budge from their stand despite assurances from the ICC.
Test captain Najmul Hossain Shanto has said the players are often forced to put up an “act” though they are mentally quite drained following the events over the past week.
“First of all, if you look at our World Cup results, we’ve never really played consistently good cricket. Last year (2024 T20 World Cup), we did play well, but there were even better opportunities, and we couldn’t capitalise on them. But you’ll see that something always happens before every World Cup. I can say this from my experience of three World Cups... it does have an effect,” Najmul, who is not a part of the squad, said in Dhaka.
“Now, we act as if nothing affects us, that we are fully professional cricketers. You guys also understand that we are acting... it’s not easy... It is better if it didn’t happen.
“I would also add that this thing is beyond our control. Wherever we play the World Cup ultimately, I would think that the players have to act like nothing is bothering them...
“I don’t know the details of how it happened... Still, I’d say that even acting in such circumstances (is difficult),” he said. “With the right mindset if we go to the World Cup and play anywhere, we should focus on how to do our best for the team.”
Najmul also said he was quite hurt by the social media comments made by Bangladesh Cricket Board director Najmul Islam about former captain Tamim Iqbal, calling it disrespectful, unacceptable, and damaging to the game.
The BCB director came under fire from different corners after he described Tamim as an “Indian agent”.
“Very sad, very sad because such comments were made about a cricketer, a former captain, and in my opinion one of Bangladesh’s most successful cricketers whom we grew up watching,” said the Test captain.
BCB awaits ICC reply
BCB chief Aminul Islam Bulbul said they were yet to receive any response from the ICC regarding their demand for shifting their T20 World Cup matches to Sri Lanka.
“We haven’t yet received any reply from the ICC. We have sent all the proofs of
our concern,” Bulbul said, reiterating that they stand by their demand.