The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has plunged the country’s cricket into chaos with a decision that many are calling baffling and deeply cynical. Just hours after the International Cricket Council (ICC) officially removed Bangladesh from the T20 World Cup 2026, the BCB made a dramatic U-turn by reinstating M Nazmul Islam as chairman of its finance committee.
The move has sparked outrage across Bangladesh cricket circles, as it directly contradicts the assurances that convinced players to call off a high-profile boycott. Nazmul had earlier been removed following widespread protests from players, who demanded accountability over remarks that were seen as insulting and damaging to the team’s dignity.
The controversy began when former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal suggested that the BCB open dialogue with the BCCI to resolve World Cup venue concerns. Nazmul responded by publicly branding Tamim a “proven Indian agent”, comments so extreme that they drew criticism even from within the board.
Nazmul further inflamed tensions by stating that players did not deserve compensation if Bangladesh pulled out of the World Cup. He went a step further, suggesting that money should be recovered from players for poor performances.
Those remarks proved to be the tipping point. Led by Cricketers’ Welfare Association of Bangladesh president Mohammad Mithun, along with Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mehidy Hasan Miraz, players launched a boycott of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). Faced with the risk of losing broadcast revenue and credibility, the BCB removed Nazmul from his finance role and issued him a show-cause notice. Reassured by the action, players returned to the field. However, the truce did not last long.
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While domestic tensions eased, the ICC took a hard stance. After Bangladesh refused to travel to India for the T20 World Cup, citing security concerns that were deemed “non-credible” by ICC-appointed experts, the governing body decided to replace Bangladesh with Scotland.
The most controversial twist came soon after. According to Bangladeshi media reports, the BCB accepted Nazmul’s explanation to the show-cause notice as “satisfactory” and promptly reinstated him as finance committee chief.
The decision has been widely seen as a betrayal of the players, raising serious questions about the board’s priorities. Despite players expressing willingness to participate in the World Cup and staging protests that disrupted the BPL, the BCB appears to have chosen to protect its old power structure rather than stand by those representing the nation on the field.
