Asif Nazrul held responsible for Bangladesh's T20 World Cup withdrawal

A report that was released on Tuesday by an inquiry committee said that former youth and sports adviser Asif Nazrul's decision led to Bangladesh not participating in the most recent ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026.

To find out why Bangladesh's national cricket team withdrew from the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Bangladesh previously established a three-member inquiry committee. The three-member committee was headed by Dr A.K.M. Oli Ullah, the additional secretary of the administration wing of the ministry of youth and sports. Habibul Bashar, Bangladesh's current chief selector and former national captain, was the other member.

The committee was tasked with examining the circumstances surrounding Bangladesh’s decision to miss the tournament and the roles played by the relevant authorities.

According to a report by the three-member committee formed to investigate why the team missed the tournament, it was found that the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) supported the decision taken by the sports ministry, headed by Nazrul at the time, not to send the team to the World Cup.

A member of the committee, Barrister Faisal Dastgir, stated at a press conference held on Tuesday at the National Sports Council (NSC) that the investigation had identified Nazrul as the individual responsible for Bangladesh's absence from the tournament. It should be noted that Nazrul had asserted that the players accepted the circumstance and were fully aware of it.

“Based on what emerged from the investigation, our discussions with the relevant people, media reports and everything else, it can be said that the person responsible for not going to the World Cup was then youth and sports adviser Asif Nazrul. Faisal said, "The government at the time and he were responsible," adding that Bangladesh ought to have been in the World Cup.

He stated, "Bangladesh absolutely should have gone to the World Cup."