BCCI officials unaware of top-level decision to drop Mustafizur

The decision to ask IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman was not the result of deliberations within the Indian cricket board, nor was the Indian Premier League's governing council consulted on the matter, The Indian Express has reported.

According to the report, the call -- which eventually led Bangladesh to decline travelling to India for next month's T20 World Cup -- was taken at the highest level of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

A senior BCCI official, who is also associated with the IPL, told The Indian Express that the development came as a surprise even to those within the league's administrative structure.

"We ourselves came to know about this through the media. There was no discussion and no suggestion was taken from our side," the official was quoted as saying.

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia,  on Saturday, had publicly explained the board's position, stating: "Due to the recent developments that are going on all across, the BCCI has instructed the franchise KKR to release one of their players, Mustafizur Rahman of Bangladesh, from their squad."

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The decision triggered a strong reaction in Bangladesh. On Monday, the country's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting banned the broadcast of IPL matches, stating that the move to release Mustafizur had "hurt and angered the citizens of Bangladesh".

"Due to this, a request is made as per instructions to stop the broadcast/telecast of all matches and programmes of the Indian Premier League," the ministry said in a statement.

KKR had signed Mustafizur after a bidding war with Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals at this year's IPL auction. The left-arm pacer was bought for Rs 9.20 crore, making him the most expensive Bangladeshi cricketer in IPL history.

Notably, the BCB had issued Mustafizur a no-objection certificate (NOC) to play in the IPL at the request of the BCCI.

The ICC Men's T20 World Cup, meanwhile, is set to begin on February 7 in India and Sri Lanka. According to the current schedule, Bangladesh are slated to face West Indies in the opening match of the tournament in Kolkata on February 7. Their remaining three group-stage matches are also scheduled to be held in Kolkata and Mumbai.