Bangladesh’s interim government has directed the Bangladesh Cricket Board to get the team’s T20 World Cup matches shifted out of India. The development was confirmed by Bangladesh’s sports adviser, Asif Nazrul, who made the statement on social media on Saturday, January 3. Nazrul said the interim government has asked the BCB to inform the ICC and seek Sri Lanka as an alternative venue for Bangladesh’s matches in the tournament.
The issue was also discussed in an emergency Bangladesh Cricket Board meeting on Saturday, sources told India Today. The move comes in the aftermath of the Indian Cricket Board directing Kolkata Knight Riders to terminate the contract of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman. The decision drew widespread criticism on social media, with the BCCI and KKR facing backlash over the handling of the situation involving a Bangladeshi player amid reports of attacks on Hindu minorities in Bangladesh.
In a strong statement, Nazrul stated that they ‘will not accept the humiliation of Bangladesh, Bangladeshi cricket, or Bangladeshi cricketers’.
“Bowing to extremist communal forces, the Indian cricket board has directed Kolkata Knight Riders to drop Bangladeshi cricketer Mustafizur Rahman from the team. I strongly condemn and protest this,” Asif Nazrul wrote on Facebook.
“As the minister in charge of the Sports Ministry, I have instructed the Cricket Board to write to the ICC explaining the entire matter. The board must clearly state that if a Bangladeshi cricketer cannot play in India despite having a valid contract, then Bangladesh cannot consider it safe for its entire cricket team to travel to India to play the World Cup. I have also directed the board to formally request that Bangladesh’s World Cup matches be held in Sri Lanka,” he added.
I have requested the Minister of Information and Broadcasting to stop the broadcast of IPL matches in Bangladesh as well. Under no circumstances will we accept the humiliation of Bangladesh, Bangladeshi cricket, or Bangladeshi cricketers. The days of slavery are over,” concluded Asif Nazrul.
On Saturday morning, the BCCI asked the Kolkata-based franchise to release Mustafizur, who had been signed for Rs 9.20 crore. In return, KKR were allowed to name a replacement player.
Sources said the BCB is now considering approaching the ICC to request that Bangladesh’s matches be moved to Sri Lanka, citing concerns over the safety and security of their players.
“The ICC is organising the World Cup; the host is India. If we have to contact anyone, we have to speak to the ICC,” BCB president Aminul Islam was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
Media committee chairman Amzad Hossain, who was present alongside the BCB president, said the final decision would rest with the ICC.
“The ICC will decide which is the appropriate venue. Our players’ security is our first priority. The players are our responsibility, so we will do everything to ensure that,” he said.
Former Bangladesh cricketers and board officials have also criticised the BCCI and the IPL, accusing them of unfair treatment of Mustafizur. Former BCB director Khaled Mahmud described the incident as deeply disappointing, noting that Bangladeshi fans traditionally rally behind IPL franchises that feature players from their country.
“This is truly a sad incident. I don’t know the exact reasons, though political factors were mentioned. It seems to be related to some forces or religion-based politics,” Mahmud told reporters on Saturday.
“But it’s very sad, especially for Mustafizur, and for all of us, because we were looking forward to KKR, where Mustafizur would play, just like it was with Shakib,” he added.
“When Shakib played, we all became KKR supporters. With Mustafizur playing, we were all KKR supporters too. It’s truly disappointing for us, and we are very embarrassed about it,” Mahmud said.
India Put Bangladesh Tour on Hold
Strained diplomatic ties between India and Bangladesh now appear set to impact cricketing relations as well, with bilateral engagements likely to be put on ice. While the Bangladesh Cricket Board has announced plans for a limited-overs series in September and even released a proposed itinerary, the BCCI is understood to be unwilling to tour Bangladesh at this stage.
The series, which includes three ODIs followed by three T20Is, was originally scheduled for last year but was postponed indefinitely after the Indian board raised security concerns. Those reservations remain unchanged, sources have indicated, making a revival of the tour unlikely in the near future.
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