‘No one should’ve monopoly in cricket’:Bangladesh minister slams ICC, BCB holds video conferencing over T20 World Cup relocation

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) held a video conference with the International Cricket Council (ICC) to discuss the Bangladesh team’s participation in the T20 World Cup. The core members present in the meeting were BCB President Aminul Islam, Vice Presidents Shakawath Hossain and Faruque Ahmed, Director and Chairman of the Cricket Operations Committee, Nazmul Abedeen, and Chief Executive Officer, Nizam Uddin Chowdhury. However, it has been learned that ICC is adamant in its position, while BCB will continue to poke the board until its demands are met. BCB stays resolute amid ICC’s reluctance to shift T20 WC venue During the discussions, the BCB reaffirmed its decision not to travel to India, citing security concerns. Moreover, the Board also reiterated its request for the ICC to consider relocating Bangladesh’s matches outside India. However, ICC noted that the tournament itinerary has already been announced and requested that the BCB reconsider its stance; the Board’s position remains unchanged. So both parties agreed that discussions will continue to explore possible solutions. The BCB says it remains committed to safeguarding the well-being of its players, officials and staff while engaging constructively with the ICC to address the matter. ‘No one should’ve a monopoly on cricket’: Sports Minister Asif Nazrul While speaking to the media at the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) Bhaban on Monday, Asif Nazrul said the security team’s letter mentions three issues related to the security risks of Bangladesh playing in India. He claimed, as per the report, “If the ICC expects us to make a cricket team without our best bowler, our supporters will not be able to wear the country’s jersey, and we’ll postpone the national election to play cricket. There can be no more bizarre, unrealistic and unreasonable expectation than that.” According to the report, Nazrul said the concern regarding Bangladesh’s security in the letter is that the security risk to the Bangladesh national cricket team will increase if Mustafizur Rahman is included in the Bangladesh team, “if the supporters of the Bangladesh team walk around wearing the national jersey of Bangladesh and our national jersey and the third is that the closer the election comes, the more the security threat for the Bangladesh team will increase”. “We believe that no one should have a monopoly on the game of cricket. The fate of a game cannot be determined based on market management. If the ICC is truly a global organisation, then it should give us the opportunity to play in the T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka. We’ll not accept any concession in this regard,” he added. Also Read: ICC says no threat to Bangladeshi team in India:Apex body rejects BCB’s demand to shift T20 World Cup matches outside India Controversy over Mustafizur Rahman’s exclusion from IPL On 16 December, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) bought Bangladeshi bowler Mustafizur Rahman for ₹9.20 crore in the IPL mini-auction. Following this, protests against Mustafizur began in India due to the killing of Hindus in Bangladesh. So far, 6 Hindus have been killed there. Later, BCCI did not allow Mustafizur to play in the IPL, and on 3 January, KKR released him. Bangladesh banned IPL broadcast After Mustafizur was released by KKR, the Bangladesh Cricket Board and its government banned the broadcast of IPL. They also refused to play World Cup matches in India and sent an email to ICC to change the venue. Bangladesh is in Group C The T20 World Cup will start on 7 February. Bangladesh are scheduled to open their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign on 7 February against two-time champions West Indies at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. After the West Indies, Bangladesh will face Italy on 9 February at the same venue, then face the 2022 T20 World Cup champions, England, in Kolkata and will conclude their group-stage campaign with a clash against Nepal on 17 February.