Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) wrote a letter to the International Cricket Council (ICC) on January 4, putting in a formal request to shift their T20 World Cup 2026 matches out of India. BCB director Faruque Ahmed in an exclusive interaction with India Today, explained that Mustafizur Rahman's ouster from the Indian Premier League (IPL) led to them taking the call.
In a telephonic conversation with India Today, Faruque said that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) instructed Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Mustafizur as they could not guarantee his security during the course of the season.
The BCCI made the call after right-wing groups criticised them on social media and other platforms for roping in a Bangladeshi cricketers while Hindu minorities are being attacked in the country.
“BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia released a statement and asked Mustafizur to be released from the KKR squad, probably for security reasons due to tensions between the two nations. Linked to that issue, the Bangladesh team will have to travel to Kolkata. The board functions under the government, and government decisions are very important. We cannot take decisions on our own. The government directs the board, and they asked the cricket board to work accordingly,” Faruque Ahmed told India Today.
“If there is a security issue for Mustafizur, then the team will also be travelling to Kolkata and Mumbai. So it is a concern for the government,” he added.
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Politics over Mustafizur losing IPL contract
The BCB director accepted that it politics took a front seat with Bangladesh government after Mustafizur's security was not guaranteed.
“When you see that one player cannot be given security, then it becomes a concern for the entire Bangladesh team and the support staff,” he said.
Hybrid model for IND-BAN matches?
While it will be a major logistical issue to shift Bangladesh's matches out of India with just over a month to go into the tournament, Faruque suggested that a hybrid model can be adopted for Bangladesh's matches similar to Pakistan.
“Everyone is playing in a hybrid model. India plays in Dubai, Pakistan does not come to India and they play in Dubai. There is a model called the hybrid model,” he further added.
Bangladesh have been placed in Group C alongside West Indies, Italy, England and Nepal. They are scheduled to start their World Cup 2026 campaign against West Indies on February 7.