Syed Ashraful Haque, former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and former General Secretary of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), in an exclusive interview with RevSportz, stated that the newly formed government in Bangladesh and the sports minister should make a strong relationship with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to ensure progression in cricket.

Haque believes it was unfortunate for Bangladesh that they are ultimately not a part of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2026. He also stated that Pakistan had a strong influence behind Bangladesh's decision to not travel to India for the tournament.

"With the new government and the appointment of Mr. Aminul Haque, a former Bangladesh national football team player who is young and energetic, I hope he takes everything on board. I am confident he understands that to advance our game, we must maintain a strong relationship with India—not just with the Indian cricket board but also with other cricket boards in the region," Ashraful Haque said.

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The Bangladesh cricket officials' decision came a few days after the snub of Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL 2026. Haque said that it was a drastic and premature decision taken by the officials only because Rahman got ejected from the franchise league.

"I always believed the decision taken by the Bangladesh government at the time, particularly by the then sports advisor, was premature. There was no justification for such a drastic decision simply because Mustafizur Rahman was not allowed to play in the IPL in India," Haque added.

Mohsin Naqvi put pressure on Bangladesh to go against India?

He further explained that Bangladesh's decision not to travel in India could be influenced by Mohsin Naqvi, the chief of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the president of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).

"As a cricket administrator, I focus on honesty and commitment. Aminul Islam (BCB President), likely being naive, was influenced by Mr. Mohsin Naqvi, the current ACC president, who persuaded him to go along. At the end of the day, who won?" Haque raised the question.