In a harsh assessment of one of the darkest chapters Bangladesh‘s cricket history, ex Asian Cricket Council (ACC) CEO and former BCB official Syed Ashraf Haq exposed the high-risk political maneuvers that led to the nation’s ouster. T20 World Cup 2026.
While competing among the world’s elite teams India and Sri LankaNo Bangladesh, a direct result of what Haque described as a premature and naive decision by the board’s leadership to boycott matches on Indian soil. A dispute arose over it Mustafizur Rahmanof IPL The speech brought in millions to the board.
‘Mohsin Naqvi trap’: How BCB chief was affected by participation in T20 World Cup 2026
Syed Haque made explosive claims about his influence Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsen Naqvi About BCB president Aminul Islam. In a bombshell interview with RevSportz on 19 February 2026, Haque claimed that the decision to prioritize ‘security issues’ over participation was a tactical error orchestrated by foreign actors.
“Perhaps I prefer not to discuss politics. As a cricket administrator, I focus on integrity and commitment. Aminul Islam, who is probably naive, was influenced by the current ACC president, Mr. Mohsin Naqvi, who convinced him to go. At the end of the day, who won?” “Firstpost” reports that Haque said this.
Haque further explained that Aminul Islam failed to understand the nuances of global sports governance, leading him to favor government optics over the welfare of players:
“He has no understanding of international cricket diplomacy. He has fallen into the trap of being too concerned about pleasing the government rather than protecting the country’s biggest asset, the players. Players like Liton Das, Mustafizur Rahman and Najmul Shanto are in their 30s and it would be a sin for them to miss this World Cup.” A former BCB official added.
Mustafizur Rahman catalyst and price of disobedience
The crisis was caused by the instruction of BCTI Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Mustafizur Rahman “For reasons of security”, which the interim government of Dhaka, headed by Yunus, considers as a national insult. However, Haque argued that using this as a reason to boycott the World Cup was an act of administrative self-destruction.
“I always believed that the decision taken by the Bangladesh government at that time was premature. Just because Mustafizur Rahman was not allowed to play in the IPL in India, such a drastic decision could not be justified. We had enough time to negotiate with the BCCI and, if necessary, the Indian government. The ICC organized the tournament and provided security if it could meet the government’s additional demands regarding player safety.” Haque concluded.
The BCB finally replaced Bangladesh with Scotland after BCB ignored multiple ultimatums to confirm their tour of India.
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