Salauddin Exposes Truth on World Cup Issue, Calls Asif Nazrul a Liar

Bangladesh is not participating in the ongoing T20 World Cup. The issue has been controversial from the start, and now the debate has intensified further. Senior assistant coach of BCB, Mohammad Salauddin, has directly stated that former sports advisor Asif Nazrul provided false information regarding the decision not to play in the World Cup.

Speaking to the media in Mirpur on Friday (20 February), Salauddin said, “I can hardly believe he (Asif Nazrul) would make such false statements on top of everything. How am I supposed to face the players? He is a teacher, a faculty member of Dhaka University. We cannot accept that someone from the country’s premier educational institution would speak such lies.”

Salauddin also expressed concern over a serious situation involving some players. He said, “I know that two of my players had fallen into a coma. They had been missing for five days. We were able to bring them back onto the field for the (Adommo Cup) tournament, and that was the biggest achievement of my life. You have the power to destroy a team in a second.”

For context, on 10 February, former sports advisor Asif Nazrul told the media that Bangladesh’s decision was a joint one made by the players and the Bangladesh Cricket Board. He stated, “There is no question of regret. Our decision was made by the Bangladesh Cricket Board and the players themselves. They sacrificed for the safety of the country’s cricket, for the safety of the people. They played a role in protecting the dignity of the people.”

This controversy clearly shows that there is a deep disagreement among parties associated with national cricket regarding participation in the World Cup. Coach Salauddin’s strong remarks underline that not only the decision itself but also how information about that decision is communicated is equally important.