Dhaka, Bangladesh: Bangladesh on Saturday strongly criticised the decision to exclude fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from the Indian Premier League, calling it politically motivated and humiliating for Bangladeshi cricket.
Asif Nazrul, Adviser to Bangladesh’s interim government, accused the Indian cricket board of bowing to “extremist communal groups” and directing the Kolkata Knight Riders to drop Mustafizur from their squad. In a Facebook post, Nazrul said the decision had prompted a strong protest from Dhaka and warned of serious consequences for bilateral sporting engagement.
Nazrul said the interim government had instructed the Bangladesh Cricket Board to approach the International Cricket Council and place the entire matter on record. He added that if a Bangladeshi cricketer could not play in India despite being under contract, it raised concerns about the safety of the national team travelling to India for international tournaments. He said Bangladesh could no longer consider India a secure destination for its players under such circumstances.
While the adviser acknowledged that the IPL is a domestic tournament and outside the ICC’s direct jurisdiction, he said international cricketing bodies must still be informed when contracted foreign players are excluded on non-cricketing grounds.
The interim government has also decided to suspend the broadcast of IPL matches in Bangladesh. Nazrul said he had directed the Adviser for Information and Broadcasting to ensure that IPL telecasts were halted with immediate effect. He also said Bangladesh would formally request that its World Cup matches be shifted to Sri Lanka instead of India.
Stating that Bangladesh would not tolerate any insult to its players or its cricketing institutions, Nazrul said the era of silence and compromise was over and that the country would respond firmly to actions it viewed as discriminatory.
The strong reaction from Dhaka follows a reported directive by the BCCI to the Kolkata Knight Riders to release Mustafizur Rahman from the team after protests over his inclusion. The protests reportedly stemmed from anger over attacks on Hindu minorities in Bangladesh, which brought political tensions into the sporting arena.
The development has added a diplomatic edge to an already sensitive issue, with potential implications for regional cricketing ties and upcoming international tournaments.
