As the clock ticks down to the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, the question of whether Bangladesh will even take the field remains unresolved. Amid the uncertainty, a blunt assessment from the Bangladesh Cricket Board's finance chief has laid bare who stands to lose the most if the impasse continues-not the board, but the players. "The board has no profit or loss here," BCB Finance Committee Chairman M Nazmul Islam told reporters on Wednesday. "Whether Bangladesh plays here or not, there is no profit or loss for the board. At least for this World Cup."
It was a statement that cut through weeks of speculation. Much of the public debate has centred on whether the BCB would suffer financially if Bangladesh chose not to play its scheduled matches in India. Nazmul's message was clear: the board's finances, he insisted, would remain largely untouched.
What would change, however, is the fate of the cricketers.
Under ICC regulations, prize money-whether match fees, performance bonuses or Player of the Match awards-goes directly to players. Even teams that do not reach the final stages of a World Cup receive minimum payouts. If Bangladesh does not participate, Nazmul acknowledged, it is the players who lose those earnings and opportunities.
"The cricketers will suffer," he said. "If they play, they get match fees. If they perform, they get what they are due under ICC rules. That money does not belong to the board."
Asked whether the BCB would compensate players in such a scenario, Nazmul pushed back. The board, he argued, already spends crores of taka on preparation, training, and logistics without demanding refunds when results do not go their way. "Should I ask them to return the crores I am spending on them?" he asked.
Behind the sharp exchanges lies a deeper standoff. The BCB has repeatedly urged the ICC to move Bangladesh's World Cup matches out of India, citing security concerns. A video conference between the two bodies on Tuesday failed to produce a breakthrough, even as discussions continue about a possible shift to Sri Lanka, another tournament host.
Concerns intensified after Kolkata Knight Riders dropped Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL, fuelling questions within Bangladesh about whether adequate security can be assured for an entire national squad. BCB President Aminul Islam Bulbul and other senior officials have publicly voiced those fears.
Hovering over the debate is Nazmul's own controversial past. The same official earlier sparked outrage by labelling former captain Tamim Iqbal an "Indian agent" after Tamim called for dialogue rather than confrontation with the BCCI-remarks that still colour public perception of his statements.
Bangladesh are scheduled to begin their World Cup campaign against West Indies at Eden Gardens on February 7. With no final decision in sight, the BCB may be confident its balance sheet will survive unchanged. "NDTV
