Shanto unhappy with the current uncertainty around Bangladesh and their participation in the 2026 T20 World Cup.
According to Najmul Hossain Shanto, Bangladeshi athletes are frequently compelled to put on a “act” in order to handle controversy before and during important competitions.
“We haven’t got a good result in any World Cup. We had a good opportunity last time [at the T20 World Cup in 2024], but we couldn’t do it. But you will notice that before every World Cup, there’s some incident that takes place,” In answer to a query regarding the recent controversy surrounding Bangladesh’s participation in the T20 World Cup in February and March in India and Sri Lanka, Bangladesh’s Test skipper Shanto said on Friday.
“As a player who has played one or two of these tournaments, I can tell you that it affects us. But we ‘act’ as if nothing affects us since we are professional cricketers. Even you know that it affects us. It is not easy. It is better if these things didn’t happen. I think the players still try to keep all things aside to perform well.
“I would also add that this thing is beyond our control. Wherever we play the World Cup ultimately, I would think that the players have to act like nothing is bothering them, and they can do well for the team.”
A final decision about Bangladesh’s participation in the T20 World Cup has not yet been made, just under a month before the first ball of the competition.
After the BCCI requested that the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) remove Mustafizur Rahman, their INR 9.2 crore signing, from the IPL 2026, controversy broke out. Although religious and political figures had threatened KKR owner Shah Rukh Khan over hiring Mustafizur during a period of political tensions between Bangladesh and India, the BCCI did not specifically address security issues.