‘We are acting and it’s not easy’

Bangladesh Test captain Najmul Hossain Shanto voiced his disappointment over the ongoing controversy surrounding the ICC T20 World Cup, drawing on his experience from previous tournaments, after the Bashundhara Cement Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) match between his Rajshahi Warriors side and Chattogram Royals at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Friday.

Shanto, who is currently out of the national T20 side but captained Bangladesh in the 2024 T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies, was asked about the fallout following Mustafizur Rahman’s exclusion from the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) subsequent threat to boycott the tournament in India, citing security concerns. India will co-host the T20 World Cup with Sri Lanka, starting next month.

“First of all, if you look at our World Cup results, we’ve never really played consistently good cricket. Last year, we did play well, but there were even better opportunities, and we couldn’t capitalise on them. But you’ll see that something always happens before every World Cup. I can say this from my experience of three World Cups - it does have an effect,” Shanto said bluntly.

He elaborated on the mental impact such uncertainty can have on players. “Now, we act as if nothing affects us, that we are fully professional cricketers. You guys also understand that we are acting — it’s not easy,” he said with a hint of a smile on his face.

“I feel that players still try to keep those distractions aside and perform for the team. Of course, it would be better if these things didn’t happen, but this is partly beyond our control. I don’t know the details of how it happened, or how it could have been controlled. Still, I’d say that even acting in such circumstances, with the right mindset, if we go to the World Cup and play anywhere, we should focus on how to do our best for the team.”

Shanto’s remarks come amid heightened scrutiny of the BCB, which has faced criticism over its handling of security concerns and communication regarding player safety.

The ongoing debate over Mustafizur’s IPL exclusion - and whether it should affect the team’s participation in the T20 World Cup - has dominated cricket circles in Bangladesh and raised questions about the impact on team morale ahead of the tournament.