In a spat over the exclusion of its ace pace-bowler Mustafizur Rahman from IPL at the directive of the Indian cricket board, Bangladesh has decided not to travel to India for T20 World Cup next month.
Bangladesh Cricket Board has also requested the International Cricket Council (ICC) to move their matches to Sri Lanka. The ICC may consider the BCB request positively, according to some Indian media outlets.
The BCB says shifting the venue is necessary to safeguard the safety and wellbeing of Bangladesh players, team officials, board members and other stakeholders and to ensure that team can participate in the tournament "in a secure and appropriate environment".
Meanwhile, authorities here see red over the exclusion Bangladesh's star fast-bowler Mostafizur Rahman from the Indian Premier League (IPL) that raises questions afresh about sport politicisation in South Asia besides provoking thought on retaliation.
Mostafizur, widely known as "The Fizz" of world cricket, was released by his franchisee, Kolkata Knight Riders, reportedly at the behest of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
The development has provoked a wave of criticisms in Bangladesh, where the left-arm pacer is regarded not only as a leading cricketer but also as a national icon.
Youth and sports adviser of the interim government of Bangladesh Asif Nazrul was most forthright in his response, condemning the decision in strongly worded posts on his verified Facebook page. Accusing the Indian cricket board of yielding to "extremist communal groups", Nazrul said the move amounted to an insult to Bangladesh and its sporting community.
"Under no circumstances will we accept insults to Bangladesh, Bangladeshi cricket, or Bangladeshi cricketers. The days of subservience are over."
Nazrul also says he has instructed the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to formally raise the issue with the International Cricket Council (ICC).
In contrast, Bangladesh's foreign affairs adviser, Md Towhid Hossain, strikes a more cautious note, declining to draw immediate diplomatic conclusions. Speaking to reporters Sunday, he said any impact on Dhaka-Delhi relations would only become apparent over time.
Meanwhile, Information and Broadcasting Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan indicates that the government is proceeding carefully on calls to suspend IPL broadcasts in Bangladesh. Speaking at a discussion organised by the Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters Forum, she said the government was reviewing the legal grounds and procedural requirements before taking any decision.
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