Senior assistant coach Mohammad Salahuddin ripped into former adviser Dr. Asif Nazrul on Thursday, accusing the Dhaka University professor of peddling \u201csuch blatant lies\u201d through a stunning reversal on the government\u2019s boycott of the 2026 ICC Men\u2019s T20 World Cup in India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe told such blatant lies,\u201d Salahuddin <\/a>said, in a furious public condemnation that has ignited outrage across Bangladesh\u2019s cricket circles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n His tone was laced with contempt. \u201cI myself am a teacher; teachers generally lie a bit less. That he would say such lies so openly\u2014I honestly can\u2019t even imagine it. How will I even show my face in front of the boys? He took such a U-turn.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The tirade followed Nazrul\u2019s dramatic flip-flop. On January 22, he had bluntly stated the exclusion was a non-negotiable government call, citing \u201cgenuine security concerns\u201d in India, which left players shell-shocked and sidelined without real input. Reports described some athletes plunging into profound distress, with at least two entering a \u201ccoma-like\u201d mental state for days as their lifelong World Cup ambitions were obliterated overnight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then, on February 10\u2014mere days before leaving office\u2014Nazrul shamelessly rewrote<\/a> the narrative. In a press conference, he insisted the boycott stemmed from the \u201cvoluntary sacrifice\u201d of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and players themselves, a heroic gesture to safeguard \u201cnational dignity\u201d and cricket\u2019s security. \u201cThere is no question of regret,\u201d he proclaimed, cynically shifting blame onto the very individuals he had earlier overruled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Asif Nazrul laundered Tk14,000 crore, wife Sheila handled the cash<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Yunus-aide Asif Nazrul under fire for downplaying 1971 genocide<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n ATM Azhar, acquitted al-Badr commander of Rangpur, threatens to sue critics<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The backlash was swift and scathing. Anonymous players dismissed the claims as \u201cfunny\u201d and expressed utter helplessness, insisting they had no role in the decision. BCB directors corroborated that the boycott arose from top-tier cabinet-level deliberations focused on security threats in India, not any initiative from the board or squad. \u201cHe himself had declared previously that the team would not go,\u201d one director remarked anonymously. \u201cHow can he now shift responsibility?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Salahuddin, visibly anguished, highlighted the devastating toll: \u201cWhen a boy goes to play a World Cup, he brings his dream, his 27-year-old dream, here. You destroy that dream in one second\u2026 Personally, you completely finished a boy\u2019s dream.\u201d He detailed the severe psychological impact on several players and the Herculean task of motivating them back onto the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A furious social media storm prompted Nazrul\u2019s belated late-night \u201cclarification,\u201d where he conceded he had \u201cfailed to convey the situation clearly\u201d but doubled down on the government\u2019s primacy in the decision. The apology rang hollow, cementing perceptions of treachery: evading blame, scapegoating victims, and eroding trust in those meant to champion the sport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This fiasco compounds Nazrul\u2019s troubling legacy of deceit, power misuse, and brazen anti-India agitation. Adding fuel to the fire, he publicly thanked Pakistan for its reciprocal boycott of a key match against India\u2014framed as \u201csolidarity\u201d with Bangladesh\u2019s exclusion. On February 5, Nazrul posted on Facebook: \u201cThank you, Pakistan,\u201d quoting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif\u2019s declaration that Islamabad would skip the February 15 game against India to protest Bangladesh\u2019s removal from the tournament. Sharif had described the move as \u201cvery appropriate\u201d and emphasised standing \u201ccompletely\u201d by Bangladesh after \u201ccareful consideration.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n What is in the indemnity ordinance issued by Yunus for July anarchists?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n