The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has delivered a ‘pull out’ threat to the International Cricket Council (ICC). After the two bodies held discussions regarding Bangladesh’s travel to India for the T20 World Cup 2026, the BCB finance committee chairman, Najmul Hossain, has made a loud and clear threat to the ICC about the consequences of rejection of their relocation request.
BCB threatens T20 World Cup pull-out
Recently, Tamim Iqbal had suggested that the BCB tread cautiously. The former Bangladesh captain warned that any hasty decision could have an adverse effect on cricket in Bangladesh. This statement had prompted Najmul to label him as an ‘Indian agent’. Now, Najmul has stated that BCB won’t worry about any potential losses from pulling out of the T20 World Cup.
“There will be no loss for the Bangladesh Cricket Board (if we don’t take part in the World Cup), as the loss will be for the players. Up to 2027, our revenue will not be hampered because in the 2022 ICC financial meeting, this was already fixed. Future World Cups or future bilateral or international events may have relevance, for example, whether teams will come to us under the FTP. Those are valid questions. But this World Cup does not affect that,” Najmul said.
Bangladesh players to suffer
The administrator went on saying that BCB won’t suffer, but the players will. If Bangladesh withdraws from the T20 World Cup, the cricketers won’t receive match fees for the matches Bangladesh doesn’t play. The board won’t compensate them despite receiving money from the ICC. Najmul stated that players don’t face pay cuts when they don’t perform, so why should they get money now? Mind you, several players are expected to lose sponsorship money due to the India-Bangladesh conflict.
“The players will lose because when they play, they receive a match fee for every match. If someone participates in a match, or becomes man of the match, or has some kind of special performance, then according to ICC rules and match regulations, they get what is due to them. That money belongs exactly to the player. The board has no connection with that. Meaning the board does not gain or lose anything from this. Whether Bangladesh plays here or not, the board has no profit or loss from this, at least not for this World Cup.”
“Why (should we compensate?) If they go somewhere and cannot do anything, then the crores of Taka we spend behind them, do we ask for that money back from them? Do we? Answer me. Now think of it this way: if the board itself does not exist, will the players exist? Answer me that. You are thinking from only one side. I have a body and two hands. I do many things with my hands. If I do not have hands, my body cannot function properly. If I do not have a body, my hands cannot exist. They are part and parcel of each other. You cannot think of one without the other. They are complementary, not against each other.”
“There is no explanation (why we won’t give any compensation) because that question should not arise because we spend so much behind them already. If we start saying you played badly, now give the money back, does that make sense? No (we won’t ask them whether they want to go or not). This is not the players’ decision. A World Cup squad is not formed by asking players. The final squad that is selected will go to the World Cup,” he said.
No government interference, says BCB
Najmul stated that the Bangladesh government isn’t calling the shots, and it’s BCB’s decision to pull out of the T20 World Cup. He added that people can make assumptions, but barring security concerns, the BCB doesn’t get any instructions from the government.
“I don’t believe that (there is any government interference). We make our own decisions. The only exception is security: without government NOC and clearance, we cannot travel abroad. If the government refuses clearance, we cannot do anything. Beyond that, this is an independent board. We take our own decisions. Any such claims are speculation,” he said, despite several instances suggesting otherwise. Assume if you want. Do you know what ‘assume’ means? ‘Assume’ as you may. When you say ‘assume’, remember what it implies,” Najmul concluded.
