Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has broken his silence on the country's previous interim government's decision to withdraw from the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup, calling it a "blunder" that deprived a "cricket-loving country" of watching their stars go toe-to-toe against the world's best.
Speaking in Mumbai on Wednesday on the sidelines of the EU T20 Belgium 2026 jersey launch, Shakib labelled the move as a "big loss" for Bangladesh cricket.
"I think it was a blunder from the government side, that they took the decision not to participate in that World Cup," Shakib said.
"That was a big, great miss as far as Bangladesh cricket is concerned. Because we as a country love watching our players playing World Cup matches. We're a cricket loving country. And a country like Bangladesh not participating in a World Cup was such a big miss."
The 39-year-old is one of Bangladesh's most decorated players, with over 14,000 runs and 700 wickets to his name in international cricket.
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The controversy traces back to a chain of events triggered by rising political tensions between India and Bangladesh. The immediate flashpoint came after the IPL 2026 auction, when Mustafizur Rahman who was signed by Kolkata Knight Riders was released following a request from the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
The fallout escalated quickly. Bangladesh imposed a ban on IPL broadcasts domestically and informed the ICC it would not send its team to India for the T20 World Cup, citing safety concerns while requesting a venue shift to Sri Lanka.
The ICC declined the request after its own security assessment found no credible threat, and with Dhaka refusing to grant the players NOCs to participate, Bangladesh were eventually replaced by Scotland in the tournament.
For Shakib, the consequences of the interim government's rule were also personal. During the interim regime, he faced legal challenges linked to the 2024 unrest and spent an extended period away from Bangladesh, featuring only in overseas leagues.
That exile denied Shakib, arguably the best cricketer the country has produced, the opportunity to retire on his own terms after a home Test.
The political landscape has since shifted, with a new BNP-led government taking office in February 2026 after a landslide victory and signalling a reset in sporting ties. Charges against several senior cricketers, including Shakib, have been dropped, and restrictions such as the IPL broadcast ban have been lifted.
However, the scars of the World Cup absence linger as India went on to lift the trophy, while Bangladesh were left watching from home.
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