Bangladesh’s Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul said on Sunday that the country’s cricket team will not travel to India for the 2026 Twenty20 World Cup, scheduled to begin on February 7.
“Bangladesh Cricket Board has taken this decision today,” Nazrul wrote on social media. “We welcome this decision taken in the context of the violent communal policy of the Cricket Board of India.”
This came a day after the Kolkata Knight Riders dropped Bangladeshi cricketer Mustafizur Rahman from its squad ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League, following instructions from the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
The decision had come amid diplomatic tensions between New Delhi and Dhaka after the killing of a Hindu man in Bangladesh in December. India has also repeatedly condemned hostilities against religious minorities in the country.
On Sunday, Khaled Mashud Pilot, the director of the Bangladesh Cricket Board, told The Business Standard that the country had sent a letter to the International Cricket Council, “requesting that our match be moved from India to Sri Lanka”.
“If they [India] cannot provide security to one of our players, how will they ensure the security of our entire team?” said Pilot. “That is why we will not go there to play.”
India is co-hosting the World Cup with Sri Lanka, as Pakistan has refused to play in the country.
The International Cricket Council is yet to respond to Bangladesh’s request.
Kolkata Knight Riders, a franchise co-owned by actor Shah Rukh Khan, had hired Rahman at the players’ auction on December 16. The 30-year-old was one among seven Bangladeshi players in the auction pool but the only one to find bidders.
Rahman’s inclusion in the franchise had triggered a controversy, with political parties and spiritual leaders criticising Khan for hiring the player.
Spiritual leader Jagadguru Swami Rambhadracharya described the actor as a “traitor” for hiring the Bangladeshi player. Another Hindu spiritual leader, Devkinandan Thakur, had also criticised the actor for hiring Rahman in light of the situation in Bangladesh.
The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) described Bangladeshis as “enemies” and said that Khan did not understand the sentiments of the nation if he retained Rahman in the squad.
“They are terrorising the country, and Shah Rukh Khan should use this time to show gratitude towards the country,” The Hindu quoted the party as saying. “Boycott these players, choose Indian players.”
Rahman has played in eight Indian Premier League seasons since 2016. He has played for Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals. The upcoming edition was going to be his first for Kolkata Knight Riders.
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