- By Sunny Daud
- Tue, 09 Jun 2026 03:45 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Bangladesh T20I captain Litton Das has reopened the debate over his country’s decision to pull out of the T20 World Cup in India. His recent comments have raised fresh questions about a move that was earlier explained as a joint decision taken by both the players and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).
The issue has once again come into focus because the International Cricket Council (ICC) had found no credible security threat to Bangladesh’s participation in the tournament.
Litton Das questioned BCB's decision
Speaking to Bangladeshi newspaper Prothom Alo, Litton Das openly questioned the reason behind the withdrawal and compared it to Bangladesh’s tours of Pakistan.
“They told us there was no safety in that country (India). We told them that we have played in Pakistan too. They used to stand outside the room with guns. What can be more dangerous than that?” he said.
“If we can play in Pakistan, why not India,” Litton added, making it clear that he did not agree with the decision.
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Earlier, former interim sports advisor Asif Nazrul had said that the players and the BCB had collectively decided not to take part in the tournament. However, Litton’s latest remarks suggest that the players may not have fully supported the final decision.
Why Did Bangladesh Pull Out?
Bangladesh were set to play in the T20 World Cup, which was to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. However, the BCB later decided against playing matches in India, citing security concerns at a time when political relations between the two countries had become strained.
The board then proposed a hybrid model, asking for all of Bangladesh’s matches to be shifted to Sri Lanka. The idea was to allow the team to stay in the tournament without having to travel to India.
What ICC found out after Bangladesh's allegations
The ICC carried out its own security assessment and concluded that there was no specific or credible threat to Bangladesh in India. As a result, it rejected the BCB’s request to move the matches.
With no agreement reached, the ICC reportedly told Bangladesh to either participate under the existing schedule or withdraw from the tournament altogether.
In the end, Bangladesh chose to pull out. Scotland was brought in as a replacement, allowing the tournament to continue without any changes to its format or schedule.