Bangladesh’s interim government instructs cricket board to request ICC shift team’s fixtures to Sri Lanka, citing player safety and diplomatic tensions.
Bangladesh’s government said Sunday it will ask the International Cricket Council to move the national team’s T20 World Cup matches out of India, a day after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) pressured an IPL franchise to release fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman.
The escalation comes amid rising diplomatic friction between the two neighbors and could disrupt next month’s tournament, which is co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
State-run news agency BSS reported that Asif Nazrul, Youth and Sports Adviser to Bangladesh’s interim government, ordered the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to formally request the ICC shift Bangladesh’s group-stage matches to Sri Lanka.
“We will not accept any insult to Bangladeshi cricket, cricketers and Bangladesh under any circumstances,” Nazrul said in a statement. “Where a Bangladeshi cricketer cannot play in India despite being contracted, the entire Bangladeshi cricket team cannot feel safe going to play in the World Cup.”
The move follows the abrupt release of Mustafizur Rahman by the Kolkata Knight Riders on Saturday, shortly after the IPL side was reportedly “advised” by the BCCI to let the bowler go. Mustafizur had been bought for over $1 million in December’s auction.
BCB president Aminul Islam Bulbul said the board would hold an emergency meeting Sunday, noting that “the dignity and security of our cricketers are our top priorities.”
The T20 World Cup begins February 7. Bangladesh are scheduled to play four group matches in India, while rival Pakistan will play all its matches in Sri Lanka under a pre-existing agreement.
Relations between India and Bangladesh have deteriorated since the 2024 political upheaval in Dhaka that unseated New Delhi’s ally, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Recent comments from India’s foreign ministry condemning treatment of minorities in Bangladesh have further strained ties.
Nazrul also announced he would request Bangladeshi broadcasters to stop airing the IPL, which begins March 26.
The ICC has yet to comment on the potential fixture change. Any relocation would require a major logistical reshuffle just weeks before the tournament begins.
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