‘We want to play in Sri Lanka, we are firm on this position’: Bangladesh sports advisor

Dhaka, Jan 7  Bangladesh government's sports advisor Asif Nazrul has said that he will do his best to convince the International Cricket Council (ICC) to relocate the country's match venues, calling out the highest body for failing to understand the situation's gravity.

The development comes amid heightened tensions between India and Bangladesh. On Monday, the Bangladesh government ordered the suspension of the broadcast of all matches of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season amid the controversy surrounding Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman.

"We sat together with the BCB directors—Aminul Islam, 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 was quoted by Cricbuzz as saying.

"But 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. 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," he said.

The decision comes after Rahman was released from the IPL following instructions issued by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), triggering widespread debate and criticism in Bangladesh.

Following Rahman’s release, the BCB convened an emergency board meeting and has also approached the International Cricket Council (ICC) seeking the relocation of Bangladesh’s matches in the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup from India, citing safety and security concerns.

"To me, it does not feel like only a security issue - it feels like an issue of national humiliation as well. Still, we are primarily treating it as a security issue. When the Indian cricket board itself is telling the Kolkata team that they cannot provide security to this player (Mustafizur) and asking them to drop him from the team - that alone shows there is no environment in India where it is safe to play," he said.

"We do not want to go into the wider communal situation in India. But when it comes to the security of our cricketers, the security of Bangladesh, and the honour and dignity of Bangladesh - there will be no compromise. 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.

Earlier, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has clarified that the International Cricket Council (ICC) has assured it of Bangladesh’s continued and unhindered involvement in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, firmly rejecting media reports that suggested the Board was issued an ultimatum.

In a statement released following formal correspondence with the ICC, the BCB said the world governing body responded to its concerns about the safety and security of the Bangladesh National Cricket Team in India, including the request to relocate the team’s matches. According to the BCB, the ICC reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding Bangladesh’s participation and expressed readiness to collaborate closely with the Board on security-related matters.

"Why we are firm on this position? We hope we will be able to explain that to the ICC. And we hope the ICC will consider our arguments impartially and allow us to play in the T20 World Cup that we have earned through hard work," he said.

"Our first stand is to convince the ICC. We have strong arguments and we will convince them with those arguments. The core principle of our stand is that on the question of Bangladesh's security, Bangladesh's honour and Bangladesh's dignity, there will be no compromise. But we definitely want to play the Cricket World Cup," Nazrul said.

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