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Tension within Bangladesh cricket has intensified after former national captain Tamim Iqbal was publicly criticised by a senior Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) official for expressing caution over the board’s recent move regarding the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. What began as a measured comment from a retired cricketer has now snowballed into a heated controversy, exposing the growing overlap between sport, administration, and regional politics.
Bangladesh seeks neutral venues for T20 World Cup 2026
The controversy stems from Bangladesh formally approaching the International Cricket Council (ICC) to request that its T20 World Cup 2026 matches not be staged in India. The move followed ongoing political unease between India and Bangladesh, prompting the BCB to argue for neutral venues to safeguard the team’s participation.
The episode has also coincided with developments involving the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after BCCI reportedly requested IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL 2026 plans, underlining how geopolitical considerations are influencing cricketing decisions.
While the decision drew mixed reactions, Tamim—one of Bangladesh’s most respected modern-day cricketers—voiced concern about the long-term implications of such a step. Importantly, Tamim made it clear that he was speaking as an outsider, not as a BCB representative, and stressed that Bangladesh cricket’s broader future should remain the top priority.
Also READ: T20 World Cup 2026: Bangladesh write to ICC over security concerns in India
Tamim Iqbal’s measured remarks spark backlash
Reacting to reports of the BCB’s letter, Tamim urged caution and internal discussion before taking public positions on sensitive matters. He highlighted Bangladesh cricket’s financial reliance on the ICC and suggested that dialogue, rather than public confrontation, would better serve the country’s interests.
“What I am saying, however, is that Bangladesh cricket’s interest, future and everything else must be considered before making such a decision. There is nothing better than if something can be resolved through dialogue. What I feel, and I think I would have done the same if I were there, is that since this is a sensitive issue, before making public comments, we would discuss the matter ourselves. Bangladesh cricket’s future comes before everything else, and 90 to 95 percent of the finances come from the ICC, so decisions have to be made based on what will help Bangladesh cricket,” Tamim had said as quoted by NDTV.
However, his remarks triggered a fierce response from M. Najmul Islam, a member of the BCB’s Board of Directors. In a strongly worded social media post, Najmul accused Tamim of acting as a ‘proven Indian agent,’ a statement that quickly went viral and drew widespread criticism for its tone and implications.
In a Facebook post that has since been deleted, the director shared a graphic of Tamim’s remarks and allegedly captioned it with the inflammatory Bengali phrase “Bharatiya Dalal”. By using this term, the BCB director essentially accused Bangladesh’s most prolific batsman of prioritizing India’s cricketing interests over those of his own nation.
