After Mustafizur's IPL exit, Bangladesh wants its T20 World Cup games out of India

Bangladesh's interim government has directed the Bangladesh Cricket Board to get the team's T20 World Cup matches shifted out of India. The development was confirmed by Bangladesh’s sports adviser, Asif Nazrul, who made the statement on social media on Saturday, January 3. Nazrul said the interim government has asked the BCB to inform the ICC and seek Sri Lanka as an alternative venue for Bangladesh’s matches in the tournament.

The issue was also discussed in an emergency Bangladesh Cricket Board meeting on Saturday, sources told India Today. The move comes in the aftermath of the Indian Cricket Board directing Kolkata Knight Riders to terminate the contract of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman. The decision drew widespread criticism on social media, with the BCCI and KKR facing backlash over the handling of the situation involving a Bangladeshi player amid reports of attacks on Hindu minorities in Bangladesh.

In a strong statement, Nazrul stated that they 'will not accept the humiliation of Bangladesh, Bangladeshi cricket, or



Bangladeshi cricketers'.

"Bowing to extremist communal forces, the Indian cricket board has directed Kolkata Knight Riders to drop Bangladeshi cricketer Mustafizur Rahman from the team. I strongly condemn and protest this," Asif Nazrul wrote on Facebook.

"As the minister in charge of the Sports Ministry, I have instructed the Cricket Board to write to the ICC explaining the entire matter. The board must clearly state that if a Bangladeshi cricketer cannot play in India despite having a valid contract, then Bangladesh cannot consider it safe for its entire cricket team to travel to India to play the World Cup. I have also directed the board to formally request that Bangladesh’s World Cup matches be held in Sri Lanka," he added.

I have requested the Minister of Information and Broadcasting to stop the broadcast of IPL matches in Bangladesh as well. Under no circumstances will we accept the humiliation of Bangladesh, Bangladeshi cricket, or Bangladeshi cricketers. The days of slavery are over," concluded Asif Nazrul.