Bangladesh has refused to play in the T20 World Cup in India; the BCB has written a letter to the ICC
Bangladesh has refused to play in the T20 World Cup in India: Political relations between India and Bangladesh are currently strained. Hindus in Bangladesh are being continuously targeted and subjected to persecution. Following this, on the instructions of the BCCI, Kolkata Knight Riders released Bangladeshi player Mustafizur Rahman. The Bangladesh Cricket Board then swung into action. It decided to write to the ICC and BCCI regarding the security situation for the T20 World Cup 2026. In this context, a statement from Bangladesh's acting Sports Minister, Asif Nazrul, has now emerged.
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Asif Nazrul makes a shocking statement
Bangladesh's acting Sports Minister, Asif Nazrul, posted on Facebook that the Bangladesh team will not go to India to play the World Cup. The Bangladesh Cricket Board has taken this decision today. We welcome this decision taken in the context of the Indian Cricket Board's violent communal policy. Earlier, he had condemned KKR's release of Mustafizur Rahman in a Facebook post.
In the same post, Asif Nazrul wrote that as a responsible advisor to the Ministry of Sports, I told the Bangladesh Cricket Board that if a Bangladeshi cricketer cannot play in India despite being under contract, then the entire Bangladesh cricket team cannot feel safe going to the World Cup. I have asked the board to request the ICC to hold the Bangladesh cricket team's matches in Sri Lanka.
Bangladesh cricket team's matches are scheduled in Kolkata and Mumbai
The T20 World Cup 2026 is to be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh has announced its squad for the tournament, with Litton Das as captain. The Bangladeshi cricket team is scheduled to play its first match against the West Indies on February 7th in the upcoming tournament. Following this, they will face Italy on February 9th, England on February 14th, and Nepal on February 17th.
Summary
Bangladesh team is scheduled to play three matches in Kolkata and one match at the Wankhede Cricket Stadium in Mumbai. With the tournament just a month away, it is unlikely that the ICC will accept the Bangladesh Cricket Board's request.
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