Bangladesh won’t travel to India for T20 World Cup

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) yesterday confirmed that it will not send the national team to India for the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup, considering the safety and security of the Bangladesh contingent in India.

In a press statement issued following an emergency meeting of the BCB Board of Directors yesterday afternoon, the BCB also requested the game's governing body, the International Cricket Council (ICC), to consider relocating Bangladesh's matches outside India.

The 10th edition of the T20 World Cup, jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka, is set to begin on February 7, with Bangladesh scheduled to play their four group stage matches in India.

The board's decision comes within a day of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman being released by Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on the instructions of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) -- a move that sparked widespread criticism.

"The Board reviewed the situation in detail, taking into account developments over the last 24 hours and expressed deep concern over the overall circumstances surrounding the participation of the Bangladesh National Team in matches scheduled to be played in India.

"Following a thorough assessment of the prevailing situation and the growing concerns regarding the safety and security of the Bangladesh contingent in India, and considering the advice from the Bangladesh government, the Board of Directors resolved that the Bangladesh national team will not travel to India for the tournament under the current conditions," the press release read.

The decision not to send the team to India was applauded by Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul.

"I welcome this decision, taken in response to the Indian cricket board's extreme communal policies," the adviser wrote in a social media post hours before the official confirmation from the BCB.

Earlier on Saturday, the sports adviser strongly protested the directive to remove Mustafizur from IPL, which he said was on political grounds.

"The board should make it clear that when a Bangladeshi cricketer cannot play in India despite being under contract, the entire Bangladesh cricket team cannot feel safe travelling to India to play in a World Cup," he wrote in a social media post, adding that he has also instructed the board to request that Bangladesh's World Cup matches be held in Sri Lanka.

Asif Nazrul had also asked the information and broadcasting adviser not to broadcast the IPL in Bangladesh.

In response, Information and Broadcasting Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan yesterday relayed that the government is reviewing the legal grounds and procedures before taking the IPL off air in the country, adding, "We also need to take a position in this situation."

Mustafizur's removal from IPL came on the heels of mounting pressure on KKR and its majority owner Shah Rukh Khan from ruling BJP politicians and religious leaders, citing what they claimed was a lack of safety for minorities in Bangladesh.

Mustafizur fetched INR 9.20 crore at last month's mini-auction, making him the most expensive Bangladeshi player in IPL history. The removal of Bangladesh's only representative in this edition of the glamorous T20 league caused an uproar among cricket-crazy Bangladeshi netizens, alongside a few advisers to the government.

In a social media post yesterday, Cultural Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki slammed Mustafizur's omission as "disgraceful", and said the "citizens of Bangladesh have witnessed politics of hatred and have been deeply hurt" by this incident.

Bangladesh are set to take on the West Indies on the opening day of the World Cup at Kolkata's Eden Gardens -- also KKR's home ground, which had received threats of disruption from protesters if Mustafizur featured in the IPL.

The Tigers are also scheduled to play their next two games at the same venue on February 9 and 14 before moving to Mumbai for their final group-stage match on February 17.

On all four dates, three matches are already scheduled per day in the morning, afternoon and evening across two venues in India and one in Sri Lanka.

However, the Indian media reported a BCCI official saying that changing the schedule so close to the tournament would be a "logistical nightmare."

"You can't just change games at someone's whims and fancies. It is a logistical nightmare. Think about opposition teams. Their air tickets and hotels are booked," NDTV quoted the BCCI official, who sought anonymity.

"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," he added.

It would require a major reshuffling of the tournament fixtures, and the BCB said it is currently awaiting the ICC's response in this regard.

The Pakistan team will feature in the World Cup without setting foot in India, playing all their matches in Sri Lanka, owing to the geopolitical tensions between the nations.

Amid the uproar, the BCB announced a 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup, with the fate of Bangladesh's participation now hinging on the ICC's response regarding the relocation of matches outside India.