Bangladesh T20I captain Litton Das has reignited debate over his country’s withdrawal from the T20 World Cup in India, a decision that was initially attributed to security concerns. His latest comments directly challenge earlier explanations that the call was mutually agreed upon by players and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).
The remarks have brought renewed attention to one of the more controversial administrative decisions in Bangladesh cricket, especially as the International Cricket Council (ICC) had found no credible security threats at the time of the tournament.
Speaking to Bangladeshi outlet Prothom Alo, Litton Das questioned the reasoning behind the withdrawal and compared it with Bangladesh’s experiences touring other nations.
“They told us there was no safety in that country (India). We told them, we have played in Pakistan too. They used to stand outside the room with guns. What can be more dangerous than that?” he said.
“If we can play in Pakistan, why not India,” Litton added, underlining his disagreement with the decision.
Former interim sports advisor Asif Nazrul had earlier stated that the players and the BCB collectively decided not to take part in the tournament. However, Litton has rejected that account, implying that the decision was not as consensual as suggested and that the players’ perspective may not have been fully reflected in the final call.
WHY BANGLADESH BOYCOTTED?
Bangladesh were originally scheduled to participate in the T20 World Cup co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. However, the BCB eventually opted out of playing matches in India, citing security concerns amid deteriorating political relations between the two countries at the time.
In response, the board reportedly pushed for a hybrid model, requesting that all of Bangladesh’s matches be moved to Sri Lanka instead of being staged in India. The proposal was put forward as a compromise solution that would still allow Bangladesh to remain in the tournament.
The ICC, however, after conducting its own assessments, found no specific or credible threat to Bangladesh’s participation in India and rejected the request to relocate matches. With no resolution between the governing body and the BCB, the ICC reportedly issued an ultimatum requiring Bangladesh to either confirm participation under the existing arrangements or withdraw entirely.
Ultimately, Bangladesh pulled out of the competition, and Scotland were drafted in as replacements to ensure the tournament could proceed as planned without disruption to the overall schedule or format.
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