Bangladesh senior assistant coach Mohammad Salahuddin has slammed former sports advisor Asif Nazrul, claiming that two cricketers fell into a mental coma after Bangladesh’s failure to play in the T20 World Cup. Nazrul who served under Former Interim Leader of Bangladesh Muhammad Yunusstood firm on the country’s decision not to play its matches on Indian soil, citing security concerns.
Scotland ended up replacing Bangladesh in Group C, the first time the team had missed out on the Men’s T20 World Cup. Speaking to reporters ahead of the Bangladesh Cricket League, which begins on February 23, Salahuddin criticized Nazrul for shattering the dreams of young players.
“Look, when a kid goes to play in the World Cup, he brings his dream here, his 27-year dream. You destroy that dream in one second. Well, if it’s a country’s decision taken for national reasons, they sacrifice themselves for the country. But when you talk about loss, I’ll only talk about personal loss,” Salahuddin told reporters on Thursday.
“Personally, you have completely completed a boyhood dream. I know two of my players went into a kind of coma for five days, completely lost. The fact that we were able to bring them back on the field in this tournament is a big thing in itself,” said Salahuddin.
“Told blatant lies”
Salahuddin hit out at Nazrul for allegedly making a blatant false claim and making a U-turn on his earlier remarks. Initially, Nazrul stated that it was the Bangladesh government’s decision that the team would not play its matches in India.
However, he later made a dramatic U-turn and stated that the decision to skip the mega event was actually a collective decision taken by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the players themselves to “protect the national dignity”.
“He told such blatant lies. I’m a teacher myself; teachers generally lie a little less. That he would tell such blatant lies – I honestly can’t imagine. How am I ever going to show my face in front of the boys? So he turned around,” Salahuddin said.
“He is a teacher, a teacher at the University of Dhaka. A person from the highest educational institution in my country who is telling such lies – we cannot accept that. How can we accept that? He said one thing earlier and later turned around,” added Salahuddin.
WHY BANGLADESH BOJCOTT T20 WORLD CUP?
Bangladesh decided to boycott the T20 World Cup mainly due to security concerns and rising political tension between Dhaka and Delhi. A major flashpoint was the controversy surrounding Mustafizur Rahman, the team’s leading fast bowler, who was released by his Indian Premier League franchise, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), allegedly at the request of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
The Bangladesh government said it would not send the national team to play the scheduled group matches in India after assessing that the safety and well-being of players, officials and supporters could not be guaranteed under the conditions.
Asif Nazrul said the national team will not participate in the T20 World Cup at the cost of the country’s dignity. The former Bangladesh government also imposed an indefinite ban on the broadcasting and promotion of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
While their players did not participate in the T20 World Cup, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) launched a new domestic tournament, the Odommo T20 Cup. Bangladesh are set to return to international duty in March when they face Pakistan in an ODI series.
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Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
February 20, 2026