Decision not to play World Cup in India was political: Miraz in Revsports interview

Bangladesh ODI captain Mehedi Hasan Miraz has described the decision not to participate in the T20 World Cup held in India as "political." He said the cricketers were ready to play in the World Cup and had no objection to going to India.

Currently in Sri Lanka to play the Lanka Premier League (LPL), Miraz said in an interview with Revsports: "It was a political issue. Everyone knows it. We were all ready to play in the World Cup. We had no objection to going to India. Every cricketer dreams of playing in the World Cup. For many, it was their first opportunity. But they missed out. I don't want to say much about it. It was purely a political matter."

The Tigers' captain also spoke about cricket relations between India and Bangladesh. He said although there has been no bilateral series between the two teams for a long time, efforts are being made to improve relations under the leadership of current Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Tamim Iqbal.

Expressing optimism about the Indian team's tour of Bangladesh this year, Miraz said: "We are waiting for the series against India. We haven't played against them in a long time. We want to enjoy the series by playing good cricket in our own conditions."

He also spoke about the team's preparation ahead of the next World Cup. Miraz said: "Every cricketer's goal is to do well in the World Cup. For that, we need to improve further at home. We have won a few series, now we want to maintain that consistency."

Praising the current BCB President Tamim Iqbal, Miraz said: "Tamim bhai played international cricket for a long time. He knows how to take the country's cricket forward. As the new president, he is trying to build a new structure. I hope the country's cricket will benefit from it in the future."