'Future Comes Before Everything': Ex-Bangladesh Opener Cautions BCB, Cites ICC's Financial Help Amid T20 World Cup Row

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) finds itself in self-created uncertainty. With the 2026 edition of the T20 World Cup just less than a month away, the issue between the ICC, the BCB, and the BCCI has cast shadows of doubts on Bangladesh's participation in the upcoming 2026 edition of the World T20. Mustafizur Rahman's removal from the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad ahead of the nineteenth season of the Indian Premier League led to the BCB deciding that they will not travel to India for security reasons.

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Tamim Iqbal Warns The Bangladesh Cricket Board

Ex-Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal has now weighed into the entire saga involving the Bangladesh Cricket Board, the International Cricket Council, and the Board of Control for Cricket in India. The southpaw asked his country's cricket board to take the interest and future of the country's cricket into account before drawing any conclusion or making any decision. Tamim also said that the board should also think about the revenue that comes from the ICC.

"Bangladesh cricket's future comes before everything else, and 90 to 95 percent of the finances come from the ICC. What I am saying, however, is that Bangladesh cricket's interest, future, and everything else must be considered before making such a decision. There is nothing better than if something can be resolved through dialogue. Before making public comments, we would discuss the matter ourselves," said Tamim as quoted by the Daily Star.

Amid the ongoing crisis between all three cricketing bodies, several reports had surfaced that the International Cricket Council (ICC) turned down Bangladesh's request of not travelling to India for the upcoming 2025 edition of the T20 World Cup.

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Bangladesh's T20 World Cup Schedule

Bangladesh have been placed in Group C with England, West Indies, Nepal, and Italy. Bangladesh open their campaign with a match against West Indies on February 7, which will be followed by matches against Italy on February 9, a clash against England on February 14, and the final group stage game against Nepal on February 17, 2026.