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Bangladesh will investigate the national cricket team’s absence from the 2026 T20 World Cup. The inquiry will examine administrative failures and governance issues.
Bangladesh cricket team did not feature at the T20 World Cup. (AFP Photo)
The Bangladesh government is set to launch a new investigation into the national cricket team’s absence from the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup. The decision comes just a day after the Bangladesh Cricket Board requested the sports ministry to shut down an earlier inquiry.
State Minister for Youth and Sports Aminul Haque confirmed that a separate investigation committee will be formed to examine whether the withdrawal from the tournament amounted to a failure of sports diplomacy. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), angered by BCCI’s refusal to admit Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman in the IPL, had asked for a last-minute venue shift from India, citing security concerns.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) rejected the claim and eventually called upon Scotland as a replacement. The BCB’s anti-India stance — players were reportedly willing to participate in the World Cup — was seen as an extension of the conservative interim government in place at the time. However, a change of guard at the top has also brought a return to sporting diplomacy.
Haque indicated that the inquiry would focus on identifying both administrative lapses and diplomatic shortcomings. “I have already spoken about these issues—why we could not participate in World Cup cricket and where exactly our shortcomings in sports diplomacy lie. These are matters we must thoroughly examine,” he said, as quoted by Cricbuzz, adding that the panel is likely to be constituted after Eid.
He stressed the broader importance of international sporting ties, noting, “In my view, we need to further strengthen our sports diplomacy because sports is a platform where, beyond divisions and political ideologies, we can unite as a nation. We must ensure such mistakes are not repeated.”
The minister also linked the move to wider concerns about governance within the board, revealing that complaints from stakeholders had prompted a parallel probe into alleged irregularities in recent board elections
“Various complaints came in from clubs and district-level bodies. Taking these into consideration, we formed an inquiry committee and are awaiting its report,” he said.
The committee has been tasked with consulting election officials, board members, and district administrators over reported inconsistencies in nominations.
March 17, 2026, 23:34 IST
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