- The ICC security team has sent a letter to the BCB, confirms Nazrul.
- He says no one should have a monopoly on cricket.
- “We are not going to compromise on this issue,” says Nazrul.
Bangladesh sports advisor Asif Nazrul on Monday called the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) expectations of dropping Mustafizur Rahman from the national team “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 ICC Men’s T20I World Cup 2026 amid tense diplomatic relations.
Nazrul said: “We have sent two letters (to the ICC), after which the ICC security team sent a letter.” The BCB will release the letter to the media at the appropriate time, he added.
Tensions between the two sides arose after Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) released the Bangladesh fast bowler after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) ordered him to do so, the Indian Premier League (IPL) team said.
Following the incident, the BCB announced that its team will 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 form a cricket team without our “best bowler”, that our fans will not be able to wear the Bangladesh jersey and that we will postpone the Bangladesh elections to play cricket, then there cannot be “more bizarre, unrealistic and unreasonable expectations” than this.
The ICC letter made it clear that the 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 any sport or tournament cannot be decided solely based on market management.
“We will not make concessions in this matter in any way,” 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 referred to “contact” between the BCB and the ICC.
“The BCB is still waiting for ICC approval.” [official] response,” he added.
Bangladesh has requested the ICC to move its matches from India to another venue, the board added.
