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Litton Das says BCB never consulted Bangladesh players before boycotting T20 World Cup in India originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Litton Das says players had no real say in Bangladesh'sT20 World Cup withdrawal.
- He describes the government meeting as a "media stunt" rather than a genuine consultation.
- BCB had asked ICC to relocate matches from India, citing security, but ICC refused.
Litton Das says Bangladesh players were never consulted on T20 World Cup withdrawal
Litton Das has once again pushed back against the official version of events surrounding Bangladesh's withdrawal from the 2026 T20 World Cup.
The BCB had sought to move Bangladesh's World Cup fixtures out of India, citing security concerns amid regional tensions between the two countries. The ICC investigated the claim, found no credible threat, and declined to relocate the matches.
With neither the BCB nor the government willing to back down, Bangladesh were ultimately replaced by Scotland in the global marquee event.
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Former interim sports advisor Asif Nazrul had previously stated that the decision not to participate was made jointly by the players and the BCB. Litton has flatly rejected that account, and he has now gone further in explaining what the January meeting with government officials actually involved.
According to the Bangladesh captain, the players attended but did not expect to influence any outcome.
"There was never a question. We only went there to participate and have tea. It was merely a media stunt. So, we too had the same mindset," he told in a podcast with Prothom Alo.
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Bangladesh players wanted to play T20 World Cup
Litton made clear that when players were asked for their views, their answer was unambiguous, as all of them wanted to be at the World Cup. To illustrate how unconvincing he found the safety rationale, Litton drew a direct comparison with Bangladesh's tours of Pakistan.
"They wanted to know what we want. As players, what would we want? We wouldn't want to fight. We'd say we want to play cricket," he added.
"From their side, there was this talk that there's no safety in that country, this or that. So I said, we even go to Pakistan to play cricket. Outside our rooms, people are standing with guns. What could be more terrifying than that? So if we can go to Pakistan to play cricket, then why not India?
When Litton was told that Nazrul had pointed the finger at the players and the BCB for the boycott, his response was telling.
"Is that person still in that position now? That is why he said those things," he hit back.
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The Bigger Picture: BCB exposed by Litton
Litton's account of events is severely damaging for the BCB. The January meeting with the players was a complete fiasco, and the decision was imposed on the players.
The security argument was always on shaky ground, given that the ICC found no evidence to support it. Hence, Bangladesh missing a World Cup event was a decision that hurt the sport in the region.
The people who made it should own it rather than distribute the blame to players who wanted to compete.
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