Sports, Jan 6: The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on January 5 said it does not feel secure sending the national team to India for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, with its next course of action hinging on the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) response.
BCB president Aminul Islam said the board has formally written to the ICC, requesting that Bangladesh’s matches in the tournament be shifted out of India due to security concerns. The communication was sent a day earlier, following the release of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the Indian Premier League (IPL) on the instruction of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
“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 told reporters.
He said the concerns had been clearly conveyed to the ICC. “We wrote a letter to the ICC and clearly stated our position. For us, security appeared to be a major concern, and that is what we are following,” he said.
The BCB president added that the board is now awaiting the ICC’s response. “We have sent an email to the ICC and are expecting them to call a meeting soon, where we will express our concerns in detail. Our next step will depend on the reply we receive,” Aminul said.
Clarifying the board’s position, he said there has been no direct communication with the BCCI on the issue. “This is an ICC event, so we are communicating with the ICC, not the BCCI,” he added.
Earlier, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, while announcing Mustafizur Rahman’s release from the IPL, cited “developments all around” as the reason, without providing further details.
Bangladesh are scheduled to play three of their T20 World Cup matches in Kolkata and one in Mumbai. Drawn in Group C, they are set to open their campaign against the West Indies at Eden Gardens on February 7, followed by matches against defending champions England, Italy and Nepal.
The development comes amid strained diplomatic relations between India and Bangladesh following the ouster of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India in August last year after anti-government protests. Hasina was later sentenced to death in absentia by a tribunal over her alleged role in a deadly crackdown during the agitation. Reports of attacks on Hindu minorities in Bangladesh since her removal have further heightened tensions between the two countries.
