Youth and Sports Adviser Dr. Asif Nazrul has clarified that the decision for Bangladesh not to play the World Cup matches in India was taken solely by the government due to security concerns, dispelling confusion arising from his recent remarks.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday, the Adviser addressed the criticism he faced after seemingly attributing the boycott decision to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the players during a press interaction the previous day.

"I have clearly stated since the beginning of January that not playing the World Cup in India due to security risks was the government's decision. I certainly remain steadfast in this statement," Nazrul wrote.

He explained that the confusion arose from his response to a journalist's question about whether he had any "regrets" regarding the decision. 

Speaking at an event where the BCB handed over Tk 2 crore to Dhaka University, Nazrul said he was "emotional" about the board's generosity during such a sensitive time.

"When asked about regrets... I felt that my or the government's regret was not the main issue. The main issue was the sacrifice of the cricket board and the players," he explained.

Nazrul drew a distinction between making the decision and accepting it. While the government made the call, he argued that the players and the board deserve the credit for accepting it without protest, despite facing financial losses and potential sanctions.

"I admit my failure in not being able to explain the matter clearly during an unprepared discussion," he concluded, reaffirming that the government's stance would not have been easy to maintain had the players not complied so willingly.