In a dramatic escalation following the release of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the Indian Premier League, the Bangladesh sports ministry has instructed the country’s cricket board to request that the T20 World Cup league games be moved from India to Sri Lanka.
Bangladesh is scheduled to play T20 World Cup matches against the West Indies on February 7, Italy on February 9, and England on February 14 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, and against Nepal on February 17 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Rahman, who became the most expensive Bangladeshi player ever after Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) secured his services for Rs 9.20 crore at last month’s mini-auction, has been released from their IPL squad following instructions from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
The decision arose amid intense controversy regarding the player’s involvement in the cash-rich event. With the BCCI not permitting Mustafizur to play in India due to concerns raised by some regarding the safety of Hindus in Bangladesh, an advisor to the Bangladesh government, Asif Nazrul, expressed worries about the safety of its players in India and therefore sought a change of venue.
“I have instructed the Cricket Control Board to submit a written explanation of the entire matter to the ICC. The Board should clearly state that when a Bangladeshi cricketer, despite being under contract, is unable to play in India, the Bangladesh national team cannot feel safe travelling there to participate in the World Cup,” Nazrul noted.
Additionally, Nazrul has requested that the advisor for information and broadcasting suspend the broadcast of IPL matches in Bangladesh. “Under no circumstances will we tolerate any disrespect toward Bangladesh cricket, Bangladeshi cricketers, or Bangladesh itself,” he added.