Bangladesh won’t travel to India for T20 World Cup over ‘security concerns’

Dhaka, Jan 4: The Bangladesh national cricket team will not travel to India for the T20 World Cup scheduled next month, even as government adviser Asif Nazrul asked the adviser for Bangladesh’s Information and Broadcasting Ministry to suspend the broadcast of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in the country.

In a Facebook post on Sunday, Nazrul said the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had decided not to send the team to India.

“Bangladesh will not go to India to play the World Cup. The Bangladesh Cricket Board has taken this decision today. We welcome this decision taken in the context of what we see as the violent communal policy of the Cricket Board of India,” read a translated version of his post.

Nazrul added that he had also directed the BCB to formally request that Bangladesh’s World Cup matches be held in Sri Lanka instead of India.

Confirming the decision, the BCB, in a statement, said the call was taken after assessing the prevailing situation and concerns over the safety and security of the Bangladesh contingent in India.

“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,” the statement said.

Following an emergency meeting of the BCB, Nazrul said the board had been instructed to approach the Jay Shah-led International Cricket Council (ICC) to shift Bangladesh’s four league matches, three scheduled in Kolkata and one in Mumbai, to Sri Lanka.

“In light of this decision, the BCB has formally requested the ICC, as the event authority, to consider relocating all of Bangladesh’s matches to a venue outside India, with Sri Lanka as the co-host,” the statement added.

Citing security concerns and government advice, and referring to IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders’ decision to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman following instructions from the BCCI, the BCB sought urgent intervention from the ICC.

Nazrul said that if a Bangladeshi cricketer could not play in India despite being under contract, the national team could not feel safe travelling to the country for the World Cup.

While the BCCI did not explicitly cite bilateral relations for its decision to seek Rahman’s release, it said the move was prompted by prevailing circumstances.

Earlier, the Shah Rukh Khan co-owned Kolkata Knight Riders released the left-arm pacer, who was bought for Rs 9.20 crore at last month’s IPL auction in Abu Dhabi, following the BCCI’s directive.

India-Bangladesh relations have remained strained since the ouster of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India in August last year following anti-government protests.

PTI