Due to “concerns about players’ safety” following Mustafizur Rahman’s removal from the IPL on BCCI orders, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has been directed by its sports ministry to look into moving the nation’s T20 World Cup league matches from India to Sri Lanka.
The Bangladeshi left-arm bowler, who was purchased for Rs 9.20 crore following a bidding battle at last month’s auctions in Abu Dhabi in accordance with the BCCI’s directive, was released by the Shah Rukh Khan co-owned IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders.
Aminul Islam Bulbul, the president of BCB and a former captain of Bangladesh, declined to react in public during an urgent board meeting.
But according to government advisor Asif Nazrul, he has given the Board instructions to request that the Jay Shah-led ICC move Bangladesh’s four league games—three in Kolkata and one in Mumbai—to Sri Lanka.
“As the adviser in charge of the Ministry of Sports, I have instructed the Cricket Control Board to put the entire matter in writing and explain it to the ICC,” Nazrul said in Bengali on his Facebook page.
“The board must make it clear that if a Bangladeshi cricketer, despite being under contract, cannot play in India, then the Bangladesh national team cannot feel safe travelling to India to play the World Cup.
“I have also directed the board to formally request that Bangladesh’s World Cup matches be held in Sri Lanka instead,” he further added.
Bangladesh’s four league matches are against the West Indies on February 7, Italy on February 9, England on February 14 in Kolkata, and Nepal on February 17 in Mumbai.
With only one month remaining in the competition, a BCCI insider maintained that the change is nearly unthinkable.
“You can’t just change games at someone’s whims and fancies. It is a logistical nightmare. Think about opposition teams. Their air tickets, hotels are booked. Also on all days there are three games each which means one game is in Sri Lanka. There is broadcast crew. So it will be easier said than done,” PTI quoted a BCCI source as saying.
According to a deal reached months ago, India’s archrival, Pakistan, is already playing its World Cup matches in Sri Lanka.
After Sheikh Hasina, the prime minister of Bangladesh, was overthrown and fled to India in August of last year due to anti-government demonstrations, the relationship between India and Bangladesh plunged into chaos.
Due to her alleged involvement in a violent crackdown during the unrest that resulted in the deaths of numerous students, a trial sentenced her to death in absentia.
The BCCI stated that the action was prompted by what has been going on everywhere, even though it did not specifically mention the current political climate in its decision to request Rahman’s release.
Since Hasina’s removal, Hindus in Bangladesh have been the subject of violent attacks. Additionally, Nazrul stated that he has asked the adviser for Bangladesh’s Information and Broadcasting Ministry (I&B) to make sure that the IPL is not broadcast in Bangladesh.
“I have requested the adviser for Information and Broadcasting to ensure that the broadcast of the IPL in Bangladesh is also suspended. Under no circumstances will we tolerate any insult to Bangladeshi cricket, cricketers, or Bangladesh itself. The days of servitude are over,” he said.
After India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar attended the funeral of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in Dhaka, there is some skepticism in the BCB corridors about how things changed so drastically.
“The BCB announced the schedule for India’s tour of Bangladesh because there was a sense of positivity but now we need to get an official confirmation from the Indian board as to why Mustafizur’s contract was cancelled,” a PTI report quoted a BCB source as saying.
“Till now BCCI hasn’t communicated anything to BCB officially. Only after official communication will BCB decide further course of action,” the source said.
