England all-rounder Moeen Ali has voiced sharp criticism over the release of Mustafizur Rahman by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ahead of IPL 2026, blaming
geopolitical tensions between India and Bangladesh. He highlighted how the BCCI's directive amid rising bilateral strains derailed the Bangladeshi pacer's hard-earned opportunity.
Moeen Ali addressed the controversy in an interview with bdnews24.com, labelling the incident a symptom of deeper problems in cricket.
"I honestly feel the solution might eventually look more like football. You have the World Cup, ICC events, maybe one or two big international series, and then the rest is franchise cricket. Because the game is already struggling with these issues, and then what happened to Mustafizur on top of that makes it even worse," he said.
Ali expressed deep sympathy for Mustafizur, who secured a Rs 9.20 crore deal at the IPL 2026 auction before the abrupt ouster.
"Something is clearly not right. This isn't just about Mustafizur. Pakistan, Bangladesh, we all know there are ongoing issues. It can't continue like this. These are big problems," he added.
"I feel the worst for Mustafizur. He earned that contract through years of consistent performances. For his career, that was a massive opportunity. He could've played for any team, but it was KKR, and in truth, he's the one suffering the most," the England all-rounder continued.
The fallout has intensified cricket's India-Bangladesh rift, with Bangladesh banning IPL broadcasts and the BPL barring an Indian presenter. Moeen targeted the ICC's structure without naming individuals, implying dominance by certain powers like Jay Shah's influence.
"The ICC has never really been ideal. Everyone knows who runs things. But nobody speaks up. Everyone has their own agenda, and as long as they're fine, they don't care," Ali stated.
Amid the row, Bangladesh pleaded to ICC for a shift in venue for the T20 World Cup, citing security reasons, but the apex body of world cricket may have rejected their plea.
