Former India cricketer Suresh Raina issued a blunt warning to Pakistan and blamed Bangladesh for creating all this chaos ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026.
During a recent conversation, Suresh Raina said that there are no security concerns in India and Bangladesh can play their T20 World Cup 2026 matches here without any problem.
Why was Bangladesh out of T20 World Cup 2026?
According to former cricketer Suresh Raina, during a high-profile event like the T20 World Cup 2026, the atmosphere is like a festival, in which every cricketer would like to take part.
The former cricketer simply said that it is completely the fault of the Bangladesh Cricket Board as there were no security concerns. Following Mustafizur Rahman’s exclusion from the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL 2026), Bangladesh cricket officials asked the International Cricket Council (ICC) to shift their matches from India to Sri Lanka as they were concerned about the safety of players in India. ICC gave BCB a 24-hour ultimatum to change its mind.
Bangladesh cricket officials remained firm on their decision not to travel to India for the T20 World Cup 2026. The council took the matter into strong hands and removed the country from this major tournament. ICC has named Scotland as their replacement instead of Bangladesh.
Suresh Raina directly blamed Bangladesh for this bad situation
Speaking to NDTV on the sidelines of the World Legends Pro T20 League, Suresh Raina said in a stern tone, “I think whatever happened with Bangladesh, we provided security; everything was there. I think it is their fault.”
Suresh Raina feels that due to the circumstances, Bangladesh cricket team can give a tough competition in the tournament. Bangladeshi cricketers are well aware of the conditions in the subcontinent and they also have some good spinners.
“If they had come to India, it would have been different because Bangladesh is a very, very strong team. Their spinners know the conditions very well. I think they are going to lose a lot,” Raina said.
Raina warned against Pakistan
But what if Pakistan decides to boycott the competition? The former cricketer said that if Pakistan decides to do so, then ICC can take major action against them.
“As the ICC chairman said, they are going to take strict action against those who are not coming to India,” Raina said.
Reports are claiming that Pakistan may adopt the path of complete or partial boycott of the tournament. Some reports have strongly claimed that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) may not dare to boycott the entire competition due to their concerns over the neutral venue in Sri Lanka. Media reports claim that PCB may think of not playing with Team India on February 15 instead of leaving the tournament.
After supporting Bangladesh, PCB boss Mohsin Naqvi and the Pakistan government have not yet clarified their stand. PCB can give information about its final decision on 2 February.
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