Bangladesh seeks to shift World Cup matches from India to Sri Lanka over ‘safety concerns’

Bangladesh has formally moved to seek a change of venue for its T20 World Cup league matches, asking that the games scheduled in India be shifted to Sri Lanka, citing concerns over players’ safety following pacer Mustafizur Rahman’s release from the IPL on the BCCI’s directions.

The decision came after the Shah Rukh Khan co-owned Kolkata Knight Riders released Mustafizur Rahman, who had been bought for ₹9.20 crore at last month’s auction in Abu Dhabi. Bangladesh’s youth and sports adviser Asif Nazrul said he has instructed the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to put the matter in writing before the ICC and request relocation of the fixtures.

In a social media post, Nazrul said that if a Bangladeshi cricketer cannot play in India despite being under contract, the national team cannot feel safe travelling there for a global tournament. He added that the BCB has also been asked to seek a formal explanation from the BCCI over the cancellation of Rahman’s IPL contract.

Bangladesh are scheduled to play four league matches in India — three in Kolkata against West Indies, Italy and England, and one in Mumbai against Nepal — beginning February 7. A BCCI source, however, maintained that a venue shift is nearly impossible at this stage due to logistical challenges involving teams, travel, accommodation and broadcast arrangements.

The issue has unfolded amid strained India-Bangladesh relations following political upheaval in Dhaka last year. The BCB has so far refrained from public comment, though it has convened an emergency meeting and decided to write to both the ICC and the BCCI seeking clarity on security arrangements and the reasons behind Mustafizur Rahman’s release.