Janata Dal (United) senior leader KC Tyagi on Tuesday said the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) should rethink its decision to let Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Tyagi noted that sport should not be driven by political tensions, even though he acknowledged the current situation in the region.
“Sports have nothing to do with politics. But the situation in the Indian subcontinent, especially with Pakistan and Bangladesh, is tense. Pakistan is guilty of terrorism on the border and Indian society is angry about the incidents against Hindus in Bangladesh. This impacts the spirit of the game,” he told NDTV.
Tyagi said the BCCI’s decision may have been influenced
by public sentiment, but added that politics should not dominate sporting decisions. “Personally, I believe that politics should not overly influence sports. When Bangladesh has appointed a Hindu cricketer, Litton Das, as captain of its team, this should make us rethink,” he said.
He further said Bangladesh had sent out a strong message through that decision. “We are agitated by the events in Bangladesh and have removed a Bangladeshi cricketer from the IPL. But Bangladesh appointed a minority cricketer, a Hindu, as captain of the team,” Tyagi added.
Mustafizur Rahman was released by KKR after the franchise was instructed to do so by the BCCI amid rising diplomatic tensions between India and Bangladesh. The 30-year-old left-arm pacer was bought by KKR for Rs 9.20 crore at last month’s IPL auction.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said KKR would be allowed to name a replacement if required. Asked about the reason for the decision, he said it was due to “recent developments all across”.
KKR confirmed that the player was released following BCCI instructions.
(With inputs from agencies)
