Bangladesh senior assistant cricket coach Mohammad Salahuddin publicly accused former sports advisor Asif Nazrul of "blatant lies" on Friday, February 21, regarding the nation's controversial withdrawal from the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. Salahuddin expressed deep anger and disbelief over Nazrul's shifting explanations for Bangladesh not participating in the global cricket tournament. He stated that Nazrul's changed stance profoundly hurt the players, many of whom were devastated by the missed opportunity^{[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]}. ### Advisor's Conflicting Statements Spark Outrage The controversy began when Bangladesh opted not to travel to India for their group-stage matches in the T20 World Cup 2026, citing "security concerns." The International Cricket Council (ICC) rejected Bangladesh's request to relocate their matches to co-host Sri Lanka. As a result, the ICC replaced Bangladesh with Scotland in the mega event^{[2][3][5][6][8][11][10]}. This decision came after a 24-hour deadline from the ICC for Bangladesh to confirm its participation^[2][5]. Asif Nazrul, who served as the sports advisor under Bangladesh's interim leader Muhammad Yunus, initially stated that the decision to boycott the tournament in India was a "government directive"^{[1][2][3][5][12][8]}. He made these remarks around January 4, 2026, following the Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB) announcement. Nazrul had publicly welcomed the decision, linking it to the Indian cricket board's policies and "security risks" in India^[12][13]. However, around February 10, just before stepping down from his government post, Nazrul made a significant "U-turn." He then claimed that the decision to withdraw from the T20 World Cup was made by the Bangladesh Cricket Board and the players themselves, supposedly to "protect national dignity"^{[1][2][3][4][5][13][8][10]}. This abrupt change in narrative drew sharp criticism. ### Coach Slams "Blatant Lies" Mohammad Salahuddin, a highly respected figure in Bangladeshi cricket and a former coach of successful Bangladesh Premier League teams like Comilla Victorians, did not hold back his condemnation of Nazrul's revised statement^{[14][15][1][2][3][4][5][7][8][9][10]}. Speaking to reporters, Salahuddin expressed profound shock and anger. "He told such blatant lies," Salahuddin said, emphasizing his disbelief. "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"^{[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]}. Salahuddin further highlighted Nazrul's academic background as a professor at Dhaka University, making the perceived dishonesty even more unsettling. "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," Salahuddin added^{[2][3][4][6][7][9]}. The coach stressed that the players had minimal, if any, involvement in the decision-making process to boycott the World Cup^[1][3][4][7]. He argued that Nazrul's later claims of player involvement were false and misleading. Salahuddin felt a deep responsibility towards his players, stating, "How will I even show my face in front of the boys?" after Nazrul's contradictory remarks^{[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]}. ### Dreams Shattered for Players Salahuddin passionately spoke about the immense emotional toll the withdrawal took on the Bangladeshi cricketers. For many athletes, playing in a World Cup represents the pinnacle of their careers and the realization of a lifelong dream^{[3][4][6][7][9][10]}. He described the devastating impact of having that dream snatched away instantly. "Look, when a boy goes to play in a World Cup, he carries his dream - his 27-year-old dream with him. You destroy that dream in one second," Salahuddin lamented^{[3][4][6][7][9][10]}. The senior assistant coach revealed that several players experienced significant mental distress after hearing the news. "I know that two of my players went into a kind of coma mentally for five days, completely lost," he shared^{[3][6][9][10]}. He explained that while national sacrifices are understood, the personal loss for these athletes was immense and difficult to process. Bringing them back to the field for other domestic tournaments proved a major challenge^{[1][3][4][6][9][10]}. The decision to withdraw from the T20 World Cup 2026 stemmed partly from the fallout surrounding pacer Mustafizur Rahman's exit from the Indian Premier League (IPL)^{[1][2][5][12]}. This incident contributed to the "security concerns" cited by Bangladesh for not traveling to India^[2][5][12]. Bangladesh had proposed shifting its matches to Sri Lanka, the co-host, but the ICC rejected this request after a vote where 14 member nations opposed the move, with only Bangladesh and Pakistan supporting it^{[2][3][5][16][17][8]}. ### Moving Forward Amidst Disappointment Salahuddin, who was appointed as senior assistant coach in November 2024 and later resigned in November 2025 citing personal reasons, has since urged players to move past the disappointment^{[14][15][18][11]}. Despite his own resignation, he continued to voice concerns about the handling of the T20 World Cup withdrawal. He acknowledged the difficulty for players to overcome such a setback but stressed the importance of focusing on future competitions, such as the 50-over World Cup^[11]. The public dispute between Salahuddin and Nazrul highlights deeper tensions within Bangladesh's cricket administration and the political influence on sports decisions. Such public accusations can impact team morale and the sport's reputation both domestically and internationally. The incident underscores the personal sacrifices made by athletes and the importance of clear, consistent communication from officials regarding national team participation in major global events. Salahuddin emphasized that while financial aspects are a factor in a player's career, the dream of playing in a World Cup far outweighs monetary considerations^[9][10]. He asserted that the ability to bring the mentally affected players back to perform in domestic tournaments was a significant coaching achievement^{[4][6][9][10]}. The cricketing community in Bangladesh continues to grapple with the aftermath of the T20 World Cup withdrawal and the public feud between key figures.

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