'Mystery will be revealed when we get there’: Mahedi on players’ meeting with Sports Adviser

As Chattogram Royals carried out their final preparations on Thursday ahead of Friday’s Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) final against Rajshahi Warriors, attention also turned to Bangladesh’s participation in the upcoming T20 World Cup when Chattogram skipper Mahedi Hasan addressed the media.

Bangladesh players are set to meet Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul at the InterContinental Hotel in Dhaka on Thursday at 3:00pm, and Mahedi said clarity would come once they attend the meeting.

Asked whether the players had discussed the issue among themselves, Mahedi said: “No, there were no such talks. Every player in the World Cup team was personally texted about the meeting. When we get there, the mystery will be revealed.”

Yesterday, Bangladesh’s request to relocate its World Cup matches outside India was formally rejected by the ICC. The ICC also gave the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) some time to consider its position before making a final decision on participation in the T20 World Cup, scheduled to be played in Sri Lanka and India from February 7.

Following the ICC announcement, players were asked late at night to attend the meeting on Thursday afternoon. When asked what the players would convey if their opinion on participating in the World Cup was sought, Mahedi said the decision rested with the board and the government.

“As a player, who would not want to play the World Cup? But the decision belongs to the board, and the government also has a say in the matter. They are our guardians, and as players, I feel we should do what they say,” he concluded.