Bangladesh is gearing up to demand that their matches at the upcoming T20 World Cup be moved from India to Sri Lanka, following a dramatic fallout after an Indian Premier League controversy.
The dispute erupted when Mustafizur Rahman, one of Bangladesh’s star fast bowlers, was forced to leave his IPL team, Kolkata Knight Riders. The team, guided by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), released Rahman amid escalating tensions between the two neighboring countries.
“We won’t tolerate any insult to Bangladeshi cricket, our cricketers, or our country,” declared Asif Nazrul, Youth and Sports Adviser in Bangladesh’s interim government, in a strongly-worded statement published by the state-run BSS news agency. “The days of slavery are over.”
Nazrul has directed the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to approach the International Cricket Council (ICC), making it clear that the safety of the team is a top concern. “If our players can’t compete in India, we cannot trust our entire team’s safety during the World Cup,” he explained. He also urged the board to formally ask the ICC to hold Bangladesh’s World Cup matches in Sri Lanka.
The T20 World Cup kicks off February 7, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. At present, Bangladesh is set to play all four of its group matches in India. In an earlier arrangement, Pakistan secured the right to play their tournament matches exclusively in Sri Lanka, sidestepping direct encounters with India.
Politics have added fuel to the fire, with relations between India and Bangladesh souring after mass protests in Dhaka led to the overthrow of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, known for her close ties with New Delhi. India’s foreign ministry recently criticized Bangladesh for what it called “unremitting hostility against minorities,” while Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus accused India of exaggerating the situation.
BCB president Aminul Islam Bulbul announced the board would hold an emergency meeting to discuss next steps. “The dignity and security of our cricketers come first, and we’ll make a decision that ensures both,” he told reporters.
Mustafizur Rahman, a seasoned IPL player, was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for over $1 million in December. But BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia explained that due to “recent developments,” the team had been “advised to release” the 30-year-old bowler. The next
