Bangladesh national team senior assistant coach Mohammad Salahuddin has launched a scathing attack on former Youth and Sports adviser Asif Nazrul, accusing him of spreading “blatant lies” over Bangladesh’s withdrawal from the ongoing ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026.

The controversy centres on conflicting explanations about who took the decision to pull out of the tournament, which is being co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. Nazrul initially said the boycott was entirely a government decision, citing security concerns after the ICC declined Bangladesh’s request to move their matches out of India.

He later claimed the decision had been taken by the Bangladesh Cricket Board and the players as a “sacrifice” for national dignity, sparking backlash from cricketers who felt unfairly blamed. Two days later, Nazrul issued a clarification, admitting he had failed to explain the matter properly and reaffirming that the withdrawal was a government directive.

Salahuddin said he was stunned by what he described as repeated contradictions from a professor at University of Dhaka. He revealed the emotional toll on the squad, saying the decision shattered the dreams of several players who had prepared for years for a World Cup.

“Two cricketers were so devastated that they went into a kind of ‘mental coma’ for several days,” Salahuddin said, describing severe psychological shock. He added that he now struggles to face his players after they were publicly portrayed as responsible for the withdrawal.

Bangladesh’s place in the tournament was eventually taken by the Scotland national cricket team, bringing an abrupt end to the Tigers’ World Cup campaign before it began.