Litton Das shares untold details about Bangladesh missing T20 World Cup
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Bangladesh’s absence from the 2026 T20 World Cup remains one of the most talked-about decisions in the country’s cricket history.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) chose not to send the team to the tournament in India, citing security concerns. Efforts to move Bangladesh’s matches to Sri Lanka failed, and as a result, Scotland took Bangladesh’s place in the competition.
The Decision-Making Process
At the center of the decision was former Youth and Sports Adviser Dr. Asif Nazrul, who played a key role in discussions with the ICC regarding the venue issue. Before the final decision was made, meetings were also held with Bangladesh’s players. Now, T20 captain Litton Das has shared his side of the story.
Speaking to the Bangladeshi daily Prothom Alo, Litton suggested that the meeting with players was more symbolic than consultative. “There wasn’t really any question to answer there,” Litton said with a laugh. “We basically went there to have tea and participate. It felt like it was being shown to the media that the players had been consulted. We were happy to sit in an air-conditioned room and have some tea.”
Players’ Priorities
According to Litton, the players made it clear that their priority was simply to play cricket. “They asked us what we wanted. What else would players want? We said we wanted to play cricket,” he explained.
Litton also questioned the security concerns that were raised during the discussions. “The response from their side was that there were security issues in that country. We told them that we had already played cricket in Pakistan, where armed guards stood outside our hotel rooms. What could be more serious than that? If we can play cricket in Pakistan, why not in India?”
Final Decision
The Bangladesh captain emphasized that the final decision was made by officials, not the players. “That was entirely their call. As players, what more could we say?”
The issue resurfaced later when Asif Nazrul claimed in another interview that the players had not stood up and demanded participation in the World Cup. When asked about those comments, Litton responded with a touch of humor. “Is he still in that position now?” Litton asked. After being told that he was not, he added with a smile, “People can say many things once they’re no longer in office.”