Not playing in the World Cup was a big mistake: Shakib

Sports Desk

Former captain Shakib Al Hasan has termed Bangladesh’s non-participation in the 2026 T20 World Cup as a big ‘mistake’ of the then government and a ‘big miss’ for the country’s cricket. He expressed his regret while talking to reporters on the sidelines of the ‘EU T20 Belgium 2026’ jersey unveiling ceremony in Mumbai on Wednesday.

It is worth noting that the then interim government refused to send the national team to India due to tensions with the BCCI over the issue of Mustafizur Rahman’s exemption from the IPL. As a result, Scotland participated in that World Cup instead of Bangladesh.

Shakib said on the matter, ‘I think it was a big mistake on the part of the government that they decided not to participate in that World Cup. I think from the perspective of Bangladesh cricket it is a big loss, a big miss because as a country we love to see our players play in the World Cup Cup… It was a big miss for a country like Bangladesh not to participate in the World Cup.’

Despite the World Cup regrets, Shakib is optimistic about the team’s current performance. Especially praising the first T20 victory against New Zealand and the overall improvement, he said, “The Bangladesh team is doing really well at the moment. You know earlier it was individual-based but now it is mainly team-centric and I think this is the best way to move forward.” Trusting the new generation of cricketers, he said that the future of the country’s cricket is bright with these promising youngsters.