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BCCI chief Mithun Manhas had an ice-cold expression as reporters flooded him outside the Swami Vivekananda Airport. The questions were expected due to Bangladesh’s refusal to travel to India for the upcoming T20 World Cup. Initially, he ignored the questions about the controversy. Then, after being continuously urged to comment, he simply replied with a smile, “I have come here for the second T20I match in Raipur.”
Here is the video of the BCCI chief’s reaction:
Doubling down on their earlier refusal, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), the government, and some national team players met on Thursday, which is also the ICC-set deadline for a final decision. They were told that the team would be replaced if they didn’t participate in the tournament. After the meeting, Bangladesh sports adviser Asif Nazrul revealed that the government’s decision not to play in India was due to security concerns.
In a press conference, Nazrul said, “While our cricketers have worked hard to qualify for the World Cup, the security risk regarding playing in India remains unchanged. This concern is not based on abstract analysis..”
The row between BCB and BCCI was triggered recently after pacer Mustafizur Rahman was removed from the IPL, following online outrage due to alleged attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh. Political relations between the two countries have soured since a mass uprising in 2024 toppled then-PM Sheikh Hasina. She fled after she was ousted.
The T20 World Cup is scheduled to begin on February 7, and Bangladesh are set to play the West Indies in Kolkata that day. ICC has already rejected BCB’s demand to play their matches in Sri Lanka instead.
“It is crucial to weigh the loss of not playing against the potential catastrophe of pushing players, fans, and journalists into a risky regional political situation. This is a government decision, as the state is responsible for determining whether its citizens face security risks abroad,” Nazrul added.
