Aminul Islam, head of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), stated on Monday that, given the current situation, “we do not feel secure” about sending the national squad to India for the T20 World Cup.
Aminul addressed reporters one day after the BCB made an official request to the International Cricket Council (ICC) to move their Twenty20 World Cup matches from India. This bold step was prompted by bowler Mustafizur Rahman’s IPL release due to BCCI directives.
“You know that we, along with all the directors of the cricket board, held two meetings before taking this decision and at this moment we do not feel secure sending our team to India to play the World Cup,” Aminul said.
“So we wrote a letter to the ICC, and in the letter we clearly stated what we wanted to say. Because to us, security appeared to be a major concern and that is what we are following.
“We have sent an email to the ICC and we are expecting them to tell us to have a meeting with them soon where we will express our concern,” he said.
Aminul stated that the ICC’s response will determine BCB’s next course of action.
“But what our next step will be depend on the reply to the email we have sent. We are not communicating with BCCI because this is an ICC event. We are communicating with the ICC,” he said.
When announcing the order to release Rahman, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia only mentioned “developments all around” without providing any details.
Bangladesh was scheduled to play one match in Mumbai and three in Kolkata during the T20 World Cup.
The team, drawn in Group C, was scheduled to play their first game on February 7 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata against the West Indies. After that, they would play reigning champions England, Italy, and Nepal.
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 has been difficult.
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.
Since Hasina’s removal, Hindus have been the subject of violent attacks.
