- The ICC security team has sent a letter to BCB, Nazrul confirms.
- He says no one should have a monopoly on cricket.
- “We will not compromise on this issue,” says Nazrul.
Bangladesh sports advisor Asif Nazrul on Monday termed the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) expectations to exclude Mustafizur Rahman from the national team as “bizarre” and “unrealistic”.
Speaking to the media, the sports advisor criticized the ICC for its response to the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) security concerns over sending the national team to India for the 2026 ICC Men’s T20I World Cup amid strained diplomatic relations.
Nazrul said: “We sent two letters (to the ICC), after which the ICC security team sent a letter. » The BCB will release the letter to the media in due course, he added.
Tensions between the two sides emerged after Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) released the Bangladeshi fast bowler after being ordered to do so by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the Indian Premier League (IPL) team had said.
Following the incident, the BCB announced that its national team would not travel to India for the 2026 T20 World Cup, expressing concern “over the general circumstances” in the country.
Bangladesh’s sports adviser said the letter cited three potential security risks: Mustafiz’s inclusion in the team, Bangladeshi fans wearing team jerseys in India and the upcoming elections in Bangladesh.
“This statement by the ICC security team has proven beyond doubt that there is no situation for the Bangladesh cricket team to play the T20 World Cup in India,” he added.
Nazrul said that if the ICC expects them to field a cricket team without our “best bowler”, our fans won’t be able to wear the Bangladesh jersey, and we will postpone elections in Bangladesh to play cricket, then there can be no “more bizarre, unrealistic and unreasonable expectation” than that.
The ICC letter clearly states that conditions were not conducive for the Bangladesh team to play in India, he added.
Without naming the BCCI, Nazrul said no one should have a monopoly on cricket. He argued that the future of a sport or tournament cannot be decided solely on the basis of market management.
“We will not compromise on this issue,” Nazrul added.
Reacting to Nazrul’s statement, the BCB clarified that the ICC’s response should not be considered an “official response”.
In a statement, the board said Nazrul was referring to the “contact” between the BCB and the ICC.
“The BCB is still awaiting the ICC’s decision [official] response,” he added.
Bangladesh has requested the ICC to shift its matches from India to another venue, the commission added.
