![Mohammad Salahuddin [L], Asif Nazrul [R]](https://cricfrenzy.com/public/storage/images/2-2026/cf_uWYaIgt7.jpg)
Speaking at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Thursday, Salahuddin accused Nazrul of dishonesty and said the shifting statements had hurt players deeply.
“He told such blatant lies,” Salahuddin said. “I myself am a teacher; teachers generally lie a bit less. That he would say such lies so openly, I honestly can’t even imagine it. How will I show my face in front of the boys? He is a teacher at Dhaka University. A person from the highest educational institution of my country telling such lies, we can’t accept this.”
Bangladesh officially withdrew on 4 January 2026. On 22 January, after meeting cricketers in Dhaka, Nazrul said: “Considering security risks, the decision not to play the World Cup in India was taken by our government.”
However, on 10 February, Nazrul altered his position, claiming the move had been a decision taken by the players and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).
Salahuddin said the reversal caused serious damage. “He said one thing earlier and later took a U-turn,” the coach added.
Highlighting the emotional toll, he said: “When a boy goes to play in a World Cup, he brings his dream, his 27-year-old dream, there. You destroy that dream in one second. Fine, if it’s a country’s decision taken for national reasons, they will sacrifice for the country. But if you talk about loss, I will talk only about personal loss.”
According to him, two players were devastated. “I know that two of my players went into a kind of coma, mentally, for five days, completely lost. The fact that we were able to bring them back onto the field in this tournament is itself a big thing. I think this is the biggest success of my coaching life — that he came back and scored runs again,” he revealed.
He downplayed financial aspects, saying, “Money is a factor, but it’s a small factor. What really matters is that the World Cup he has dreamed about all his life, he wanted to play that World Cup.”
Bangladesh’s withdrawal allowed Scotland to replace them in the tournament, marking the country’s first absence from a World Cup in three decades and their first-ever absence from a T20 World Cup.
