Mirpur: Bangladesh Cricket Board (PCB) interim committee chairman Tamim Iqbal on Tuesday slammed the previous administration for mishandling a request to shift the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 from India to Sri Lanka.
Controversy has arisen since Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman was dropped from the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 on the orders of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in January this year.
As a result, the BCB refused to allow India to host the T20 World Cup 2026 from February 7 to March 8, citing security concerns, instead requesting the International Cricket Council (ICC) to co-host its matches with Sri Lanka.
Their refusal to visit India prompted a series of talks with the ICC, but a solution could not be reached, and the apex body eventually shifted the mega event to Scotland.
Meanwhile, Tamim, who was appointed interim BCB chief by the Bangladesh government last month, insisted the ICC was “soft” and had room to find a solution, but the previous administration had mishandled the situation.
“I was the first to speak when the T20 World Cup issue happened. What was done, how the previous Bangladesh Cricket Board (PCB) administration handled it was not right. The ICC was lax, there was room for resolution. We should have found it,” Tamim said.
The BCB chief also reflected on Bangladesh’s cricketing journey and highlighted the importance of World Cup qualification citing the celebrations in the country after the Tigers booked their place at the 1999 mega event.
“I look back to 1996-97 and how much we fought to win the ICC Trophy against Kenya to qualify for the World Cup. My house was flooded with colored water. People were celebrating in the streets,” Tamim recalled.
“That celebration brought kids to cricket, everyone wanted Minhajul Abedin to be Nannu, Khaled Mashud, Akram Khan. And we gave away the World Cup without even a proper conversation. There might be players in that team who will never play in the World Cup again. I didn’t take that well,” he added.
The former cricketer said that the BCCI’s relations with the BCCI are healthy and that he shares a strong personal bond with BCCI president Mithun Manhas, whom he played with during the IPL series.
Reiterating that Bangladesh is a safe place for cricket, he expressed hope that the Indian cricket team would tour in the near future.
“As far as BCCI is concerned, I have played a lot of cricket with (current BCCI president) Mithun Manhas. In IPL, we were in the same team and he has come to Bangladesh many times to play in the Dhaka league. Very good relationship. I haven’t had a chance to sit with him yet at this stage, but I know him well,” he said.
“The security of the country is absolutely brilliant at the moment. There is no problem, there is no security threat, and that has never been the case for the Indian cricket team. When India comes here, the whole stadium is packed. People love that match. I personally don’t think there are any real problems for PCB and BCCI. A series here is a great way to take the next step,” he concluded.