Bangladesh's cricket crisis deepens with U19 World Cup exit after senior's T20 WC snub

Bangladesh’s cricket crisis has deepened further, with setbacks at both senior and junior levels exposing systemic issues that go beyond results on the field. The national men’s team will not feature at the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup after Bangladesh refused to play their matches in India, citing security concerns following Mustafizur Rahman’s removal from the Kolkata Knight Riders squad ahead of IPL 2026.

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As a result, Scotland have been named as Bangladesh’s replacement for the tournament, which begins on February 7, marking a major diplomatic and sporting blow for the Bangladesh Cricket Board.

While the senior team grapples with administrative turmoil and lost opportunities, Bangladesh’s Under-19 side has also seen its campaign unravel at the Men’s Under-19 World Cup. Their hopes of reaching the semifinals effectively ended with a seven-wicket defeat to England in the Super Sixes at Bulawayo.

BANGLADESH U19 STUMBLE

Needing victories in both remaining Super Six matches to stay alive, Bangladesh stumbled at the first hurdle after being bowled out for 136 in just 38.1 overs.

The innings never gathered momentum, despite brief resistance from Rifat Beg, who scored 31 off 36 balls, and wicketkeeper Md Abdullah, who contributed 25. England’s disciplined bowling attack, led by Sebastian Morgan’s three wickets and Manny Lumsden’s tight spell, kept Bangladesh under constant pressure.

In reply, England made light work of the chase, reaching 137 for three in only 24.1 overs. Captain Thomas Rew anchored the innings with an unbeaten 59 off 50 balls, a composed knock that earned him the Player of the Match award and underlined the gulf between the two sides on the day.

The loss confirmed that Bangladesh’s semifinal ambitions were over, turning their final Super Six fixture against Zimbabwe on January 31 at the Harare Sports Club into a dead rubber. More importantly, it highlighted recurring problems at the youth level, including batting collapses, lack of intent, and an inability to handle pressure situations.

Brief Scores

Bangladesh Under-19s: 136 all out in 38.1 overs. Rifat Beg (31), Md Abdullah (25); Sebastian Morgan (3/28), Manny Lumsden (2/18)

England Under-19s: 137/3 in 24.1 overs. Thomas Rew (59*), Ben Mayes (34); Al Fahad (2/37), Samiun Basir (1/30)

Result: England Under-19s beat Bangladesh Under-19s by 7 wickets

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