Amid the ongoing tussle between India and Bangladesh over the T20 World Cup 2026, Syed Ashraful Haque, a former president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), has launched a scathing attack on International Cricket Council (ICC) Chairman Jay Shah. Haque criticized Shah for his handling of the issue, calling him an administrator who has never held a bat. Citing security concerns for its players, the BCB has requested that its matches be shifted from India to Sri Lanka, but the ICC has yet to make a decision on the matter.
Syed Ashraful Haque said that the cricket ecosystem has been hijacked by politicians from India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. He claimed that if the ICC had people like Jagmohan Dalmiya, IS Bindra, Madhavrao Scindia, NKP Salve, or N Srinivasan, the situation of Bangladesh shifting the 2026 T20 World Cup matches from India to Sri Lanka would never have arisen.
He said, “Now it’s been completely hijacked. There are people who have never held a bat. You have Jay Shah, who has never even held a cricket bat in a competitive match. Our sports advisor is making statements saying Bangladesh shouldn’t go to India. This is a World Cup event, not the IPL. This is an international World Cup event. You can’t make such hasty statements.”
Meanwhile, a report quoting a senior source close to the BCB said that the second letter was sent after discussions with Sports Ministry advisor Asif Nazrul, in which the ICC specifically sought clarification regarding security risks. While the exact contents of the letter are confidential, it indicates that Bangladesh has now elaborated on its concerns. The ICC has remained publicly silent on this matter until now, while it is seeking further information from Dhaka.
Earlier, reports claimed that the ICC had rejected the BCB’s request to shift the matches and issued an ultimatum that the team must travel to India or lose points. However, Bangladesh flatly denied these reports and instead claimed that the ICC had assured them that they would work with the board to consider their demands.
