Bangladesh Sports Advisor Asif Nazrul on Thursday said the national team would participate in the upcoming T20 World Cup only if its matches are held in Sri Lanka, citing security concerns in India.
Addressing reporters in Dhaka, Nazrul said Bangladesh remains eager to play in the global tournament but cannot risk the safety of its players and support staff. He pointed to a recent incident involving a Bangladeshi cricketer being forced out of a competition in India, questioning assurances given by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
“ICC can say there is no security issue, but one of our players was kicked out of their tournament. If security cannot be ensured for Mustafizur, how can we be convinced it will be provided during the World Cup?” Nazrul said. He stressed that Bangladesh wants to take part in the tournament, but not in India.
The comments came as the Bangladesh Cricket Board held discussions on the issue, with the board expected to make a final decision later on Thursday after approaching the ICC for one last round of talks.
Further updates are awaited.
