BCB Head Tami Iqbal (Image: X) The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has formed an interim committee and appointed former captain Tamim Iqbal as its head. Addressing the controversy surrounding Bangladesh’s exclusion from the 2026 FIFA T20 World Cup, Tamim admitted that the previous BCB administration had not handled the situation and expressed disappointment at how the country lost its place in the tournament.While India celebrated a historic third T20 World Cup title, Bangladesh went through one of the darkest chapters in their cricketing history after being kicked out of the competition. The controversy began when Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman was withdrawn from the Kolkata Knight Riders team amid rising religious tensions in Bangladesh. Concerned for the safety of the players, the BCB asked the ICC to move Bangladesh’s matches from India to Sri Lanka. With the tournament schedule already finalized, the ICC rejected the proposal due to logistical complications, which ultimately led to Bangladesh’s exclusion.
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Mahela Jayawardene reflects on MI’s disappointing IPL 2026 campaignSpeaking to The Indian Express, Tamim criticized the former BCB administration’s handling of the matter and felt there was still plenty of room for dialogue and compromise.“I was probably the first person to speak when the issue of the T20 World Cup came up. The way the previous BCB administration handled it was not right. The ICC was lenient and there was room to find a solution. We should have found it,” Tamim said.The former Bangladesh captain also reflected emotionally on Bangladesh’s cricket journey and what World Cup qualification means for the country. He recalled the celebrations after Bangladesh secured qualification for the 1999 World Cup by winning the 1997 ICC Trophy.“People were celebrating in the streets. This win inspired a whole generation to take up cricket. Everyone wanted to be Minhajul Abedin Nannu, Khaled Mashud or Akram Khan. And then we gave away the World Cup opportunity without really thinking about it. There may be players in this team who may never get a chance to play in the World Cup again and that hurt me deeply,” he added.Tamim also spoke about Bangladesh’s relationship with the BCCI and insisted that the ties between the two boards will remain healthy. He revealed that he shares a strong personal bond with current BCCI president Mithun Manhas, who played with him in the IPL and domestic leagues.“I know Mithun Manhas very well. We played together in IPL and he has visited Bangladesh many times for Dhaka league cricket. I haven’t met him officially in this role but we share a very good relationship,” Tamim said.He further assured that Bangladesh remains a safe destination for international cricket and hoped that India would tour the country again soon.
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“The security situation in Bangladesh is absolutely fine at the moment. There is no threat, especially to the Indian cricket team. Whenever India tours Bangladesh, the stadiums are full because people love this rivalry. I personally believe that there are no real problems between BCB and BCCI anymore and a bilateral series in Bangladesh would be a great step forward,” he concluded.
