Bangladesh Sports Advisor Goes On T20 World Cup Exclusion Rant On Live TV After Clash With ICC

As Bangladesh stand on the verge of being excluded from the T20 World Cup 2026, the country's sports advisor, Asif Nazrul, made a surprise appearance at a Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) match on Friday. Nazrul, who has been vocal about Bangladesh's stand, demanding the team's matches to be shifted from India to Sri Lanka, went on a rant on Live TV, narrating how his team stands on the verge of being left out of the tournament. The backdrop of his live interview was a packed stadium, which he highlighted was a testament to the love people of his country have for cricket.

"Bangladeshi people, they love cricket, and the huge presence of the spectators is a testament to this," Nazrul said during the interview. "And this was actually much needed because, you know, quite recently Bangladesh has been on the verge of being excluded from the T20 World Cup."

Nazrul said that the players of the Bangladesh national team have the right to feature in the T20 World Cup, which they have qualified for, but are being excluded.

"They have the right to play there, but they are being excluded," he said. "So in such a special time, the huge presence of spectators will definitely encourage Bangladesh cricket and cricketers."

Cricket is more than a game. Advisor Asif Nazrul speaks, and the crowd reacts like a storm.

BASHUNDHARA CEMENT BPL 2026
POWERED BY WALTON LIFT#BPL2026 pic.twitter.com/WpR4GxbSoP

— Bangladesh Cricket (@BCBtigers) January 23, 2026

Surprisingly, such a comment comes after Bangladesh players claimed that their opinion on the T20 World Cup conflict with ICC wasn't even heard by the country's government. The Bangladesh government allegedly decided against sending its team to India for the T20 World Cup without even consulting the players.

For Nazrul, however, the presence of Bangladesh fans in Dhaka for the BPL match was a 'message' to the global cricketing spectrum amid the current situation of chaos.

"We've got, I think, a huge presence of advisors," Nazrul said. "You can hear the sound and how popular cricket is in Bangladesh. Actually, half of the advisers who are present in Dhaka City tonight have turned up today, and it carries a special message."

Topics mentioned in this article

Bangladesh Cricket Team Bangladesh Cricket Board International Cricket Council T20 World Cup 2026 Cricket