Former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal finally revealed the controversial circumstances that led to Bangladesh’s disappearance ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. Speaking after assuming the post of president Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) the interim committee criticized the previous management for how the whole situation involving Tamim, ICC and BCCI was handled.
The controversy started earlier this year after the Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman is reported to have been released from Kolkata Knight Riders during IPL 2026 Amid diplomatic tensions between India and Bangladesh. The matter escalated after Bangladesh refused to travel to India for the T20 World Cup and requested the ICC to shift their matches to Sri Lanka citing security concerns. However, discussions failed to produce a solution and eventually Scotland replaced Bangladesh in the tournament.
Tamim Iqbal reflects on Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup controversy
Tamim admitted that Bangladesh should have approached the situation differently and insisted there was still plenty of room to find a workable solution with the ICC. The former player also reflected on the emotional significance of World Cup qualification for Bangladesh cricket, recalling the nationwide celebrations that followed the team’s 1999 ODI World Cup qualification.
“When the (T20) World Cup thing happened, I was probably the first to speak. What was done by the previous Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) management, the way they handled it was not right. The ICC was lenient, there was room to find a solution. We had to find it. This holiday brought kids to cricket, everyone left Minhajul, Kharamshun and us. Without the right dialogue, the World Cup may be players who will never play in that squad again. Tamim said.
Tamim opens BCB-BCCI ties
Tamim also spoke positively about the existing relationship between BCB and BCCI and revealed that he shares a strong personal bond with current BCCI president Mithun Manhas from his IPL days.
“As for BCCI, I have played a lot of cricket with Mithun Manhas. We were in the same team in the IPL, he came to Bangladesh many times to play in the Dhaka leagues. Very good relationship. The security of the country is absolutely brilliant at the moment. There is no problem, no security threat and it has never come up for the Indian team. I personally think BCB and BCCI have no real problem. Tamim said.
Tamim points to deeper problems in Bangladesh cricket
Apart from the World Cup controversy, Tamim also criticized the state of domestic cricket in Bangladesh during the previous administration. He alleged that several domestic tournaments were suffering due to management issues and alleged that many cricketers were left unpaid.
According to Tamim, the situation had worsened enough for many clubs to boycott competitions before investigations into the previous board’s actions began. Tamim, who now heads the interim BCB set-up, has stated that his main focus is to rebuild Bangladesh cricket and ensure that similar controversies do not damage the country’s cricketing future again.
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