After Rahman's release from IPL, BCB wants ICC to move its team's T20 WC games out of India

Dhaka: The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Sunday decided against sending its national team to India for the T20 World Cup next month citing security concerns and government advice, following IPL franchise KKR's decision to release pacer Mustafizur Rahman on BCCI's instruction.

Although the BCCI did not explicitly cite the current relations between the two countries for its decision to seek Rahman's release on Saturday, it did say that the move was triggered by what's been happening all around.

Rahman's dramatic ouster from the IPL prompted the BCB to call an emergency meeting on Saturday night and a day later, the Board of Directors met again and decided that the national team will not travel to India for the T20 World Cup beginning February 7.

"The Board reviewed the situation in detail, taking into account developments over the last 24 hours and expressed deep concern over the overall circumstances surrounding the participation of the Bangladesh National Team in matches scheduled to be played in India," said the BCB in a statement.

"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."

After the meeting, BCB director Khaled Mashud Pilot expanded on the board's security concerns over playing in India.

"If they (India) cannot provide security to one of our players (Mustafizur reference), how will they ensure security of our entire team? That is why we will not go there to play," he said.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) will need to address the issue as Bangladesh are scheduled to play all four of their leagues games in India.

Like the arrangement with Pakistan, Bangladesh wants all of their matches to be shifted to Sri Lanka, the co-host of the tournament.

"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 matches to a venue outside India (co host Sri Lanka)," read the statement further.

"The Board believes that such a step is necessary to safeguard the safety and well-being of Bangladeshi players, team officials, Board members and other stakeholders and to ensure that the team can participate in the tournament in a secure and appropriate environment.

"The Bangladesh Cricket Board looks forward to the ICC’s understanding of the situation and an urgent response on this matter."

Even before the BCB issued a statement, government advisor Asif Nazrul declared in a Facebook post that the board has taken the call not send its team to India.

"Bangladesh will not go to India to play World Cup. Bangladesh Cricket Board has taken this decision today. We welcome this decision taken in the context of the violent communal policy of the Cricket Board of India," read a translated version of his post in Bengali.

Following the BCB emergency meeting, Nazrul instructed the board to ask the Jay Shah-led ICC to shift Bangladesh's four league games -- three in Kolkata and one in Mumbai -- to Sri Lanka.

"As the adviser in charge of the Ministry of Sports, I have instructed the Cricket Control Board to put the entire matter in writing and explain it to the ICC," Nazrul wrote in Bengali on his Facebook page.

"The board must make it clear that if a Bangladeshi cricketer, despite being under contract, cannot play in India, then the Bangladesh national team cannot feel safe travelling to India to play the World Cup," he wrote.

The Shah Rukh Khan co-owned IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) released the Bangladesh left-arm pacer, who was bought for Rs 9.20 crore after a bidding war at last month's auctions in Abu Dhabi, following BCCI's diktat.

The Indo-Bangladesh relationship has plunged into chaos after the ouster of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India in August last year following anti-government protests.

She was sentenced to death in absentia by a tribunal for her alleged role in a deadly crackdown during the agitation in which several students were killed.

Hindus have been targetted for violent attacks since Hasina's ouster.

IPL broadcast to be suspended in Bangladesh?

Nazrul also said that he has requested the adviser for Bangladesh's Information and Broadcasting Ministry (I&B) to ensure that broadcast of IPL in Bangladesh is suspended.

"I have requested the adviser for Information and Broadcasting to ensure that the broadcast of the IPL in Bangladesh is also suspended.

"Under no circumstances will we tolerate any insult to Bangladeshi cricket, cricketers, or Bangladesh itself. The days of servitude are over," he said.

There is a bit of disbelief in the BCB corridors that things took such a turn after India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar attended former PM Khaleda Zia's funeral in Dhaka.

"The BCB announced the schedule for India's tour of Bangladesh because there was a sense of positivity but now we need to get an official confirmation from the Indian board as to why Mustafizur's contract was cancelled," a BCB source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.