‘You don’t know, I don’t know — we’re on the same page’

Bangladesh T20 captain Litton Das said he remains in limbo over the team’s participation in the upcoming T20 World Cup and voiced frustration at the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) for failing to communicate with him or the squad.

Speaking after the Bashundhara Cement Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) ended for Rangpur Riders, Litton said the team has no clarity on whether it will travel to the tournament.

“I don’t know. There’s no answer to that. The World Cup is still a long way away. We’re not even sure yet whether we’ll go at all,” he said when asked about preparation opportunities from matches on bowler-friendly wickets.

Pressed further, he confirmed the uncertainty extends to him personally as captain. “You don’t know, I don’t know — we’re on the same page,” Litton said.

Rangpur skipper added that the ongoing lack of clarity is affecting mental preparation. “From today, the games are over. I’ll relax in my room. Recovery is needed because these matches took a lot out of us. We’ve been playing continuously in a rush without any break. There hasn’t been time for recovery…throughout the BPL, I don’t think anyone got that chance. Especially the Rangpur team — we didn’t get it at all, because we played back-to-back matches.”

Even if the tournament takes place at the eleventh hour, Litton said there would be a narrow window for mental preparation. “From now, there will be opportunities. Those who finish playing on the 23rd (of January) — if the World Cup starts on the 7th (of February), then from the 23rd to the 7th there are 14 days. Mentally, there will be plenty of time to think and prepare,” he said.

However, Litton said there has been no formal or informal discussion with the board or selectors about the situation. “No,” he replied when asked if the board had consulted him or the team. When asked if it should have happened, he said: “I don’t know, but there hasn’t been any with me.”

Litton also reflected on the challenges of the current circumstances for his leadership role. “Look, brother, many things in life aren’t ideal. But when certain situations come, you have to accept them. We’ve played so many T20 matches, the entire BPL — that wasn’t ideal either. But we still had to play. What else can we do?”

When asked if he personally agreed with the board’s decisions, Litton declined to comment.

The captain also voiced frustration at the disruption to team preparation after nearly a year of stability. “Everyone is playing the BPL. It’s not like they were sitting out. But at the same time, if you knew who your group was, which country you were going to, that would help. Right now, neither I nor anyone else has that information. Even the 15 players who will go don’t know where they’re going or who they’ll play against. I’m uncertain, everyone is uncertain. I think the whole of Bangladesh is uncertain right now,” he said.

Litton declined to comment on questions related to ongoing political tensions between India and Bangladesh, saying it was “not safe” to answer.

The comments highlight growing frustration for Bangladesh’s leadership ahead of a T20 World Cup that remains in doubt, with little communication from the governing board adding to the uncertainty.