Bangladesh’s Youth and Sports Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul has strongly criticised the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after it instructed Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Bangladeshi cricketer Mustafizur Rahman from the Indian Premier League squad.
In a post on his verified Facebook page on Saturday, Dr Nazrul said the decision amounted to an insult to Bangladeshi cricket and raised serious concerns about the safety and treatment of Bangladeshi players in India.
“As the adviser in charge of the Sports Ministry, I have asked the Bangladesh Cricket Board to explain the entire matter to the ICC in writing,” Dr Nazrul said. “If a Bangladeshi cricketer cannot play in India despite being under contract, then the entire Bangladeshi cricket team cannot feel safe going there to play in the World Cup.”
He said he had also instructed the Bangladesh Cricket Board to formally request that Bangladesh’s World Cup matches be shifted to Sri Lanka.
Dr Nazrul further said he had asked the country’s Information and Broadcasting Adviser to stop the broadcast of the Indian Premier League in Bangladesh, warning that the government would not tolerate what he described as disrespect toward the country or its players.
“We will not accept any insult to Bangladeshi cricket, cricketers or Bangladesh under any circumstances,” he said. “The days of slavery are over.”
Earlier, Kolkata Knight Riders confirmed that Mustafizur Rahman had been removed from their squad following instructions from the BCCI. No official reason was provided by the Indian cricket board for the decision.
The development comes amid heightened political tensions between India and Bangladesh, with the issue now threatening to spill over into cricketing relations between the two countries.
The International Cricket Council has not yet commented on the matter. (Newswire)