Litton Das invokes Pakistan as he slams Bangladesh's India stance: 'What can be more dangerous than that?'

Bangladesh cricketer Litton Das has openly questioned the decision that led to the country's withdrawal from the 2026 T20 World Cup, which was held in India earlier this year. He said that the team had already played in much worse security conditions in Pakistan and should have been allowed to compete in India.

Speaking to Bangladeshi news outlet Prothom Alo, Litton expressed his frustration over Bangladesh missing one of cricket's biggest tournaments. "They told us there was no safety in that country (India). We told them, we have played in Pakistan too. They used to stand outside the room with guns. What can be more dangerous than that? If we can play in Pakistan, why not India," Litton said.

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Why did Bangladesh withdraw from World Cup?

Bangladesh were originally scheduled to participate in the T20 World Cup, which was co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. However, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) eventually decided not to send the team to India, citing security concerns amid worsening political relations between the two countries.

The issue became more complicated when the BCB requested a hybrid model from the International Cricket Council (ICC). Bangladesh wanted all of their matches to be moved to Sri Lanka instead of being played in India and they even cited Pakistan's example to support their argument.

However, the ICC assessments found no specific or credible threats to the Bangladesh team in India. As a result, the ICC rejected BCB's request to relocate their matches to Sri Lanka. The governing body later gave Bangladesh an ultimatum to either participate in the tournament or withdraw.

Rather than changing its position, Bangladesh chose not to travel after receiving backing from its then government. The decision resulted in the team being removed from the tournament, with Scotland taking their place as the next highest-ranked T20I side.

The main issue was the growing political tensions between India and Bangladesh following the violent change of government after the removal of Sheikh Hasina. The BCCI had asked Kolkata Knight Riders to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL 2026 squad, a move that many within the BCB and the Bangladesh government viewed as an insult.

Mustafizur was the only Bangladeshi player sold at the auction. The BCCI was forced to act following political pressure over allowing Bangladeshi players in the IPL despite the country's open anti-India stance since the change in government. As a result, the Bangladesh govt banned the broadcast of IPL in the country and instructed its cricket board to boycott World Cup matches scheduled to be played in India.

Since then, Bangladesh's interim government has been thrown out following elections and the BCB has also undergone some major leadership changes. The board is now keen to restore ties with the BCCI and is hoping that India's tour of Bangladesh goes ahead as planned.