Bangladesh cricket in disarray

“A sad moment for the game” -- that was the phrase used by the World Cricketers' Association (WCA) while reacting to Bangladesh’s exclusion from the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

Few descriptions could better capture the turbulence currently engulfing Bangladesh cricket – turbulence that continues to wound genuine lovers of the game across the country.

Under the leadership of former national captain Aminul Islam Bulbul, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) appears to be struggling both internally and externally. Many now fear that if this trajectory continues, the game itself could become the biggest casualty in this cricket-crazy nation.

Missing out on the World Cup is only part of the damage. Domestic cricket remains largely paralysed. Although the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) managed to conclude, controversy followed it to the finish line. As the tournament ended, a match-fixing scandal surfaced, adding yet another chapter to a growing list of irregularities.

Following allegations of involvement in match-fixing in the BPL, BCB director Muhammad Mukhlesur Rahman was forced to step down from his role as audit committee chairman. Another franchise adviser publicly raised fixing allegations via a Facebook Live session, further eroding public trust.

Following Saturday’s board meeting, influential director Ishtiaque Sadeque resigned, with rumours suggesting that more may follow. Disagreements with the board president and unresolved personal conflicts among directors have now become open secrets rather than internal matters.

Meanwhile, controversial figures continue to resurface. M Najmul Islam, removed from his role as finance committee chairman after making derogatory remarks about cricketers during protests, was reinstated following the BPL, making the growing disconnect between the board and the players unmistakable.

The long-standing stagnation and disputes in Dhaka club cricket have reached a breaking point. With Bangladesh out of the T20 World Cup -- set to be played in Sri Lanka and India from February 7 -- there is no clarity on the next domestic schedule. Even Rajshahi Warriors captain and Test skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto publicly voiced his frustration, saying he had no idea when they would next take the field.

With cricket disrupted both at home and abroad, organisers appear directionless, unable to chart a clear path forward.

In what many see as an attempt to mask failure, the BCB has floated the sensational idea of bringing back the country’s most successful cricketer, Shakib Al Hasan, who is currently in exile. For many, the move lacks logic and appears to be a desperate and misguided effort to divert attention from the ongoing turmoil surrounding the World Cup exclusion.

This is not merely the pain of missing a global tournament -- Bangladesh cricket is passing through what may be its most fragile phase in history. In such moments, resilience is only meaningful when guided by a clear mission and vision, something that currently appears to be missing.

BCB president Bulbul said on Thursday, following a meeting with players and Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul, that the board “will keep on fighting” to ensure Bangladesh’s participation in the T20 World Cup. But when the ICC replaced Bangladesh with Scotland on Saturday, the BCB confirmed it had accepted the decision and would not pursue further action.

“We are not going into any separate arbitration or any other process,” the board stated -- a declaration that underlines the absence of a clear roadmap.

Bangladesh cricket is, quite literally, struggling to stay afloat in a sea of sorrow, not only because of exclusion, but because a fight without purpose, clarity, and vision rarely leads to recovery.