Stunning boycott threat for T20 World Cup after fury over $1.5m India outcast, ‘hurtful’ snipe

Bangladesh’s cricket board has repeated its refusal to travel to India for next month’s T20 World Cup during talks with the International Cricket Council, with the players also threatening a boycott in response to “hurtful” comments from the board’s director.

With ties tense between the two countries, Bangladesh wants the ICC to shift their World Cup games from India to co-hosts Sri Lanka, citing security concerns.

The World Cup begins on February 7 and Bangladesh are scheduled to play their four group matches in India.

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The row erupted on January 3, when India forced Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman to quit the Indian Premier League. Mustafizur, who has played in the IPL for other teams in previous editions, was snapped up at auction in December by Kolkata for more than AU$1.5 million.

His sacking sparked fury in Dhaka.

On Tuesday, during a video conference with the ICC, the Bangladesh Cricket Board said it had “reiterated its request for the ICC to consider relocating Bangladesh’s matches outside India”.

Political relations between India and Bangladesh soured after a mass uprising in Dhaka in 2024 toppled then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina, a close ally of New Delhi.

India’s foreign ministry last month condemned what it called “unremitting hostility against minorities” in Muslim-majority Bangladesh. Bangladesh’s interim leader, Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, has accused India of exaggerating the scale of the violence.

“The BCB reaffirmed its position regarding the decision not to travel to India, citing security concerns,” the BCB said in a statement.

“While the ICC highlighted that the tournament itinerary has already been announced and requested the BCB to reconsider its stance, the Board’s position remains unchanged.”

The ICC have not commented.

The BCB said discussions with the ICC continue to “explore possible solutions”, it added, but that it “remains committed to safeguarding the wellbeing of its players, officials and staff”.

Asked about the potential financial implications for Bangladesh should they end up not playing in the T20 World Cup at all, BCB director M Nazmul Islam declared that there would be no compensation for the players should they miss out.

“We are spending so much money on them, they are not being able to do anything in different places,” he said.

“Have we got any international awards? What have we done at any level? Let us now ask them for the money back after every time they couldn’t play. Give us back. Why should there even be a question of compensating the players?”

In response, Bangladesh’s players have threatened a boycott of all forms of cricket unless Nazmul Islam tenders his resignation.

“The remark made by the BCB director has hurt the cricket fraternity greatly and it’s not acceptable,” Mohammad Mithun, the president of the Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh, told reporters on Wednesday

“We demand his resignation. If he doesn’t resign before tomorrow’s match, we will announce a boycott of all cricket, starting from the BPL matches tomorrow (Thursday).”

Bangladesh, led by Litton Das, are placed ninth in the ICC T20 rankings. They have played all the nine editions of the tournament, but have never qualified for the semi-finals.

Elsewhere, England could be missing two frontline spin bowlers for the start of their pre-T20 World Cup tour to Sri Lanka after Adil Rashid and Rehan Ahmed had their visas delayed, according to The Times.

The spin duo – both of Pakistani heritage — are not expected to travel to Sri Lanka on Saturday with their teammates, who have received their visas. The Sri Lanka tour comprises three ODIs and three T20Is before the 15-man squad travels to India ahead of the ICC tournament.

Meanwhile, four American cricketers of Pakistan origin – Ali Khan, Shayan Jahangir, Mohammad Mohsin and Ehsan Adil – are also awaiting visa clearance to travel to India for the T20 World Cup, while Khan claimed on social media that his Indian visa was “denied”.Courtesy of worsening diplomatic and political ties between the two nations, it has become increasingly difficult to cricketers of Pakistani origin to obtain Indian visas, including for England’s Shoaib Bashir and Australia’s Usman Khawaja.

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