Bangladesh Coach Accuses Asif Nazrul of U-Turn on World Cup Decision

Bangladesh assistant coach Mohammad Salahuddin criticised former advisor Asif Nazrul for changing his stance on the team’s T20 World Cup participation, starting a new controversy.

Bangladesh assistant coach Mohammad Salahuddin has criticised former sports advisor Asif Nazrul over comments about the team’s participation in the 2026 T20 World Cup. Nazrul initially stated that the government decided on a boycott, but later claimed the decision came from the BCB and players. Salahuddin rejected the revised version and called it untrue.

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He expressed disappointment that a senior academic figure would make conflicting statements on a national issue. Salahuddin said the change in position created confusion and placed the team in an uncomfortable situation.

“He told such blatant lies. I am a teacher myself, and teachers generally lie a bit less. That he would say such lies so openly – I honestly can’t even imagine it. How will I even show my face in front of the boys? He took such a U-turn,” Salahuddin was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.

“He is a teacher, and a teacher at Dhaka University. A person from the highest educational institution of my country saying such lies – we can’t accept this. How can we accept this? He said one thing earlier and later took a U-turn,” he added.

Players Struggle Emotionally After Missing World Cup

Salahuddin added that missing the World Cup deeply affected several Bangladesh players. He revealed that two squad members felt numb for days after learning they would not play in the tournament. He explained that representing the country at a World Cup remains a lifelong dream for many cricketers.

“Look, when a boy goes to play a World Cup, he carries his dream – his 27-year-old dream – with him. You destroy that dream in one second. Fine, if it’s a country’s decision taken for national reasons, they will sacrifice for the country. But if you talk about loss, I will talk only about personal loss. Personally, you completely ended a boy’s dream. I know that two of my players went numb for days, completely lost,” he said.

“The fact that we were able to bring them back onto the field in this tournament is itself a big thing. I think this is the biggest success of my coaching life – that they came back onto the field and scored runs again. A person dreams for many years of playing a World Cup. Money is a factor, but it’s a small one. What really matters is the World Cup he has dreamed about all his life – he wanted to play that World Cup,” Salahuddin continued.

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“Look, for the sake of the country, I’m also ready to sacrifice many things, and the boys are ready too. But did I put my hand on a boy’s head and say, ‘Son, you couldn’t play because of this’? If things had been communicated properly, I think many things could have been accepted,” the coach concluded.