Bangladesh T20 World Cup boycott: ‘HE TOLD BLATANT LIES,’ Senior coach slams Muhammad Yunus’ sports advisor Asif Nazrul

Bangladesh cricket team’s senior assistant coach Mohammad Salahuddin condemned recent statements by Muhammad Yunus’ sports advisor Asif Nazrul, challenging both the reasoning and the impact of the move. The boycott, attributed to security concerns and political tensions between Bangladesh and India, has had profound consequences for the team’s players and morale.

Salahuddin underscored the emotional toll on young cricketers, highlighting how abruptly their aspirations were cut short. “Look, when a boy goes to play a World Cup, he brings his dream, his 27-year-old dream, here. You destroy that dream in one second. Fine, if it’s a country’s decision taken for national reasons, they will sacrifice for the country. But if you talk about loss, I will talk only about personal loss,” he told reporters.

He explained the distress his squad faced following the decision. “Personally, you completely finished a boy’s dream. I know that two of my players went into a kind of coma mentally for five days, completely lost. The fact that we were able to bring them back onto the field in this tournament is itself a big thing,” Salahuddin said.

Salahuddin openly criticised Nazrul’s statements, accusing him of inconsistency and dishonesty. In his words, “HE TOLD BLATANT LIES.”

He elaborated, “He told such blatant lies. I myself am a teacher; teachers generally lie a bit less. That he would say such lies so openly — I honestly can’t even imagine it. How will I even show my face in front of the boys? He took such a U-turn,” Salahuddin remarked, expressing disappointment with Nazrul’s shift in narrative.

Salahuddin questioned the integrity of a respected academic making such claims. “He is a teacher, 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,” he added.

The controversy began when Nazrul initially stated the decision was a directive from the Bangladesh government, citing national security. Later, Nazrul framed the move as an act to “protect national dignity.”

Following the boycott, Bangladesh introduced the Odommo T20 Cup domestically. Their next international engagement is set for March against Pakistan. The fallout from the decision continues to spark debate over its long-term effect on both the players and Bangladesh cricket’s reputation.