'No WC at the cost of dignity': B'desh draws firm line; pushes ICC to shift matches to SL
Bangladesh's government has hardened its stance on playing the T20 World Cup in India, citing national dignity and cricketer security concerns. Dhaka will urge the ICC to relocate their matches to Sri Lanka, believing the global body misunderstands the gravity of the situation. Participation will not come at the cost of humiliation or compromised safety.
File Pic: Bangladesh fans cheer for their team in the stands. (AP Photo)
NEW DELHI: Bangladesh have hardened their stance on playing the ICC T20 World Cup in India, with the government making it clear that participation cannot come at the expense of national dignity or the security of its cricketers.
On Wednesday, Bangladesh government’s sports advisor Asif Nazrul said Dhaka would make a strong case before the International Cricket Council (ICC) to relocate Bangladesh’s matches to co-host Sri Lanka, accusing the global body of failing to grasp the seriousness of the situation.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Nazrul’s comments came after a meeting with Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) directors, held in the wake of an ICC letter responding to Bangladesh’s formal request for a venue change. The request followed recent controversy involving Mustafizur Rahman, after the BCCI asked Kolkata Knight Riders to release the Bangladesh pacer, triggering fresh security concerns.
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“We sat together with the BCB directors – Bulbul bhai, Faruque bhai and everyone else. Today we discussed the situation and we all agreed that Bangladesh earned qualification for the T20 World Cup through hard work. We are a cricket-crazy nation and we definitely want to play,” Nazrul told reporters.However, he underlined that participation could not come at any cost. “We do not want to play the World Cup at the cost of national humiliation, at the cost of the security of our cricketers, spectators and journalists, or at the cost of the country’s dignity,” he said.
“After reading the letter we received from the ICC today, it felt to us that they have not fully understood the serious security situation that has developed in India for Bangladeshi cricketers.
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Nazrul went further, describing the issue as one that goes beyond safety. “To me, it does not feel like only a security issue – it feels like an issue of national humiliation as well. When the Indian cricket board itself is telling a team that they cannot provide security to this player and asking them to drop him, that alone shows there is no environment in India where it is safe to play.”Laying out Bangladesh’s position in unequivocal terms, he said: “We want to play cricket, we want to play the World Cup, and since there is another host country, Sri Lanka, we want to play there. We are firm on this position. On the question of Bangladesh’s security, honour and dignity, there will be no compromise.”Nazrul confirmed that a detailed letter would be sent to the ICC shortly, after which Bangladesh would decide its next course of action based on the response.BCB president Aminul Islam echoed the government’s concerns, stressing that security worries extend beyond players. “There is a large group involved – journalists, sponsors and spectators. Ensuring security for everyone is not possible for the board alone,” he said, adding that reports claiming the ICC had already ruled out Sri Lanka were “propaganda”.