Bangladesh won’t play T20 World Cup matches in India: Bangladesh Cricket Board
Guwahati: Bangladesh will not send its national cricket team to India for the upcoming T20 World Cup scheduled next month, amid escalating political and security concerns, while a senior government adviser has also sought suspension of Indian Premier League (IPL) broadcasts in the country.
Government adviser Asif Nazrul said on Sunday that the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had decided against touring India for the tournament. In a Facebook post, Nazrul said the decision was taken in view of what he described as concerns arising from recent developments.
“The Bangladesh Cricket Board has decided today that Bangladesh will not go to India to play the World Cup. We welcome this decision in the context of what we see as a violent communal policy of the Board of Control for Cricket in India,” he said in a translated version of the post.
Nazrul added that he had instructed the BCB to formally request that Bangladesh’s World Cup matches be shifted to Sri Lanka instead of India.
Confirming the development, the BCB said the decision followed an assessment of the prevailing situation and serious concerns over the safety and security of the Bangladesh contingent.
“The Board reviewed the situation in detail, taking into account developments over the last 24 hours, and expressed deep concern over the overall circumstances surrounding the participation of the Bangladesh National Team in matches scheduled to be played in India,” the BCB said in a statement.
Following an emergency meeting, the BCB said it has approached the Jay Shah-led International Cricket Council (ICC), seeking relocation of Bangladesh’s four league matches—three scheduled in Kolkata and one in Mumbai—to Sri Lanka.
“In light of this decision, the BCB has formally requested the ICC, as the event authority, to consider relocating all of Bangladesh’s matches to a venue outside India, with Sri Lanka as the co-host,” the statement said.
The BCB cited security considerations and government advice, and referred to the recent release of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman by IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders following instructions from the BCCI. It sought urgent intervention from the ICC in the matter.
Nazrul said that if a Bangladeshi cricketer could not play in India despite being under contract, the national team could not feel assured about its safety during the World Cup.
While the BCCI did not cite bilateral relations while asking for Rahman’s release, it said the decision was taken due to prevailing circumstances. Kolkata Knight Riders, co-owned by actor Shah Rukh Khan, released the left-arm pacer, who had been bought for Rs 9.20 crore at the IPL auction held in Abu Dhabi last month.
India-Bangladesh relations have remained strained since the removal of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India in August last year following anti-government protests.