We do not feel secure sending our team to India: BCB president Bulbul

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Aminul Islam said on Monday that the board does not feel safe sending the national team to India for the upcoming T20 World Cup scheduled for next month.

In a press release issued yesterday, the BCB said it has sent a letter to the International Cricket Council (ICC) requesting the relocation of Bangladesh's T20 World Cup matches outside India.

Aminul's comments came in the aftermath of star pacer Mustafizur Rahman being released by Indian Premier League franchise Kolkata Knight Riders following instructions from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Mustafizur was removed from the IPL on political grounds, with his case deemed a "force majeure" -- a contractual provision that allows parties to be excused from fulfilling obligations due to extraordinary circumstances beyond their control. His removal was not triggered by injury or a player-led withdrawal, but by a BCCI directive stemming from external diplomatic and security developments.

"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 on Monday.

"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.

"But what our next step will be depends on the reply to the email we have sent. We do not know what feedback will come (from ICC), but the clauses we have given are within the MPO. We are not communicating with BCCI because this is an ICC event. We are communicating with the ICC," he added.