Bangladesh Requests Venue Change for T20; ICC Suggests Excluding Mustafizur Rahman

Bangladesh has expressed serious security concerns over participating in the upcoming T20 World Cup in India and has formally requested the International Cricket Council (ICC) to consider an alternative venue. However, the ICC’s response has raised eyebrows, as they reportedly suggested that Bangladesh could play in India only if star pacer Mustafizur Rahman is excluded from the squad.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Professor Asif Nazrul, Youth and Sports Advisor to the Interim Government, said the ICC had sent a letter via its security department to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). The letter reportedly stated that Mustafizur’s inclusion in the team would increase security risks for the Bangladesh squad in India.

According to Nazrul, the ICC’s security experts highlighted three main factors that could compromise the team’s safety:

1. Mustafizur Rahman being part of the squad.

2. Bangladeshi fans openly supporting the national team while in India, wearing jerseys and other team merchandise.

3. Rising security concerns as India’s elections approach.

“The ICC security team has clearly outlined these three risk factors in their communication with the BCB,” Nazrul said.

The security concerns stem partly from threats by extremist Hindu nationalist groups in India, which previously led to Mustafizur Rahman being removed from the Indian Premier League (IPL) despite being one of the tournament’s highest-paid players.

Citing these risks, Bangladesh has opted not to travel to India for the T20 World Cup. Instead, the country has proposed shifting their matches to Sri Lanka as an alternative venue.