Disarray as Bangladesh refuse to travel to India for T20 World Cup following the furore over the Mustafizur saga.
Bangladesh refuse to travel to India for T20 World Cup, adding disarray to the tournament’s planning.
Bangladesh has declined to travel to India for the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup, citing concerns about the players’ “safety and well-being” in light of the two nations’ deteriorating political ties. This decision was prompted by the BCCI’s directive to the Kolkata Knight Riders to release Mustafizur Rahman.
Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup matches were slated to take place in Kolkata and Mumbai, starting on February 7 at Eden Gardens against the West Indies. The BCB’s decision causes considerable disarray in the schedule with just one month till the competition begins.
“Following a thorough assessment of the prevailing situation and the growing concerns regarding the safety and security of the Bangladesh contingent in India and considering the advice from the Bangladesh Government, the Board of Directors resolved that the Bangladesh National Team will not travel to India for the tournament under the current conditions,” the BCB said in a statement.
“In light of this decision, the BCB has formally requested the International Cricket Council (ICC), as the event authority, to consider relocating all of Bangladesh’s matches to a venue outside India.”
The BCB’s statement came two hours after Bangladesh’s sports adviser Asif Nazrul backed the board’s decision of refusing to travel to India. “The BCB has decided not to send the Bangladesh team to India for the World Cup,” he wrote on his official Facebook page. “We welcome this decision taken in the context of the radical communal policies of the Indian cricket board.”
“India said that they are unable to provide security for one player, so how can they give security for the whole team? We had to take the decision considering not just the players and support staff,” a BCB official said. “We have to think about the fans and journalists who will travel to India. We can’t play in India. We can play in Sri Lanka.”