The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced on Sunday its decision not to send its national team to India for the T20 World Cup next month, citing security concerns and government advice. This decision follows
IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) release of pacer Mustafizur Rahman on the instruction of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
While the BCCI did not explicitly mention the current relations between India and Bangladesh as the reason for seeking Rahman’s release, it acknowledged that the decision was influenced by recent events.
Rahman’s unexpected departure from the IPL led to an emergency meeting by the BCB on Saturday night. The Board of Directors reconvened the following day and decided that the national team would not participate in the T20 World Cup scheduled to start on February 7 in India.
The BCB issued a statement saying, “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,” said the BCB in a statement.
“Following a thorough assessment of the prevailing situation and the growing concerns regarding the safety and security of the Bangladesh contingent in India and considering the advice from the Bangladesh Government, the Board of Directors resolved that the Bangladesh National Team will not travel to India for the tournament under the current conditions.”
BCB director Khaled Mashud Pilot further elaborated on the board’s security concerns about playing in India. He stated, “If they (India) cannot provide security to one of our players (Mustafizur), how will they ensure security of our entire team? That is why we will not go there to play,” he said.
Also Read: ICC Open To Moving Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup 2026 Matches Outside India: Report
Ball Now In ICC’s Court
The International Cricket Council (ICC) must address this issue as Bangladesh is scheduled to play all four of their league games in India.
Like the arrangement with Pakistan, Bangladesh seeks to have all their matches relocated to Sri Lanka, the tournament’s co-host.
“In light of this decision, the BCB has formally requested the International Cricket Council (ICC), as the event authority, to consider relocating all of Bangladesh matches to a venue outside India (co host Sri Lanka),” read the statement further.
“The Board believes that such a step is necessary to safeguard the safety and well-being of Bangladeshi players, team officials, Board members and other stakeholders and to ensure that the team can participate in the tournament in a secure and appropriate environment.
“The Bangladesh Cricket Board looks forward to the ICC’s understanding of the situation and an urgent response on this matter.”
(With inputs from Agencies)
