Not preparing for a World Cup but smiles return

“Nothing much, just preparing for the football World Cup.”

That was Bangladesh middle-order batter Tawhid Hridoy’s playful post on his official Facebook page yesterday, posted alongside a picture of national cricketers taking part in a football session at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur.

The light-hearted post came at a time when the national team was originally expected to be preparing for the upcoming T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held in Sri Lanka and India from February 7. Instead, the players have returned to Mirpur for a fitness camp ahead of a domestic three-team competition -- the ODOMMO Bangladesh T20 Cup 2026 -- which will run from February 5 to 9.

The shift followed the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) decision not to send the team to the T20 World Cup in India due to security concerns. After the International Cricket Council (ICC) rejected Bangladesh’s request to relocate their fixtures outside India, the Tigers were replaced by Scotland for the marquee event -- an outcome that left players disappointed.

While Hridoy’s post was clearly meant in jest -- reinforced by the emojis that accompanied it -- it also subtly captured the reality of missing out on a global tournament. Still, the resumption of training appeared to lift spirits, with players smiling as they reunited at the home of cricket.

Veteran Mushfiqur Rahim, who was not part of the World Cup setup, was seen fully engaged in fitness drills and timed runs. The mood lightened further during the football session, with friendly tussles and laughter adding energy. The scenes marked the players’ return to Mirpur following the conclusion of the Bangladesh Premier League last month.

However, questions remain over how much a short, three-team, five-day T20 tournament can compensate for the void left by missing the World Cup. Although Bangladesh’s next international assignment is an ODI series at home against Pakistan in March, BCB vice-president Faruque Ahmed made it clear that the tournament was arranged largely in response to the World Cup snub.

“The national election is on 12th [February], and we also didn’t go to the World Cup, which was in T20 format. We did talk about the format, but we opted for T20 since we didn’t go to play the T20 World Cup, which is possibly how the decision came,” Faruque told The Daily Star.

Bangladesh face a busy 2026, with home series scheduled against Pakistan, New Zealand, Australia, India and the West Indies. A BCB media committee official also confirmed that direct qualification for the 2028 T20 World Cup -- which could have been ensured by reaching the Super Eight stage of the upcoming edition -- also remains a key consideration for the board.

For now, however, the focus is simply on getting back into action. With cricket returning to the calendar, the players appear content to be training again, even if it is not for the World Cup.