'If they don't come...' - Former India skipper reflects on Bangladesh's decision to boycott World Cup 2026

Mohammad Azharuddin, India's former captain and one of the greatest batters in cricket history has publicly criticized the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) for their unwillingness to travel to India for the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, which India will be sharing the hosting duties with Sri Lanka. Azharuddin believes that if Bangladesh does not send its players to this World Cup it will hurt the growth of cricket in Bangladesh as well as damage the country's reputation. Azharuddin has commented on how this whole situation could have been avoided and that cricket should be the primary concern and not be overshadowed by disputes over logistics and politics.

The former captain also commented on the security of Indian players, saying that it is not as big of a concern as the BCB is making it out to be. He mentioned that South Africa and New Zealand have recently played games in India without any problems. He went on to say that as the schedule for the World Cup has already been set, it would be impossible for them to make any changes at this late date. The BCB should put its players first, maintain the spirit of international cricket, and not put the country at risk of not being represented on the world stage due to issues that have no solid basis.

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"If they don't come, it is their loss. They cannot complain about our security system. A lot of international matches are going on, and no team has complained. If they don't come, it will be their loss and a loss for their players. Our country is very secure. All the teams are playing. New Zealand are currently playing in India, and South Africa played just a few days ago. You can't keep shifting the World Cup matches here and there. Since the matches are already scheduled, it is very difficult to shift matches," Azharuddin said as quoted by Asianet Newsable.

Our security risk in playing in India has not changed at all: Asif Nazrul

In light of recent events, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) continues to stand its ground about not traveling to India for the 2026 T20 WORLD CUP due to security issues; therefore, they have once again asked to have their matches moved to Sri Lanka. The BCB has been in continuous negotiations with the ICC but have yet to reach an agreement and have continued to refuse the requests made by the ICC on several occasions. According to Asif Nazrul, the sports advisor for Bangladesh, the ICC has denied their requests and has not provided them with the proper justice they deserve. As a result of the failure of Bangladesh to respond to the ICC within the prescribed time frame, the ICC is currently exploring the possibility of selecting Scotland to replace Bangladesh in the tournament.

"Our security risk in playing in India has not changed at all. This concern did not arise from any imaginary analysis or assumption. It arose from a real incident, where one of the best players of our country was forced to bow his head before extremists, and the Indian cricket board removed him from India, plainly speaking, asked him to leave," said Nazrul said.