Dhaka [Bangladesh], January 20 : Bangladesh captain Litton Das has spoken about the "uncertainty" around his side's participation in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026, starting February 7 and said certainty would have helped in preparations.
"If we had known who our group opponents were [in the World Cup] or which country we were going to, that would have helped," Litton said following Rangpur Riders' exit from the Bangladesh Premier League, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
"You have seen that we have announced the squad, but until now, no player knows which country we are going to or whom we will play against. Like me, the whole of Bangladesh is now uncertain," Litton added.
There has been some strain in India's ties with Bangladesh over rising incidents of crimes against minorities in the country. Bangladesh's visit to India for their T20 WC fixtures is uncertain at the moment, with the board requesting that the International Cricket Council (ICC) relocate their matches outside India.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had asked Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their Indian Premier League 2026 squad amid demands following atrocities against minorities in Bangladesh.
The Litton-led Bangladesh are scheduled to kick off their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign on February 7 against the two-time champions, West Indies, at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
The Litton-led side will then face Italy on February 9 at the same venue before facing England in Kolkata again. After facing England, Bangladesh are scheduled to travel to Mumbai to play Nepal at Wankhede Stadium.
The Bangladesh captain declined to comment on the political tensions between Bangladesh and India or the BCB's stance on the matter, but said the situation was far from ideal.
"Many things in life are not ideal, but you have to accept them according to the situation. Playing so many matches in the BPL was not ideal either, but we still had to play," he said, according to ESPNcricinfo.
Despite several rounds of discussions between the International Cricket Council (ICC) and BCB officials, no resolution has been reached yet.
Bangladesh squad for T20 World Cup 2026:
Litton Das (captain), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Saif Hassan, Tawhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Quazi Nurul Hasan Sohan, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Taskin Ahmed, Shaif Uddin, Shoriful Islam.