Mustafiz IPL snub clouds BCB’s India World Cup plans
The exclusion of Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL has triggered an unprecedented storm in Bangladesh cricket, transforming a franchise-level decision into a full-blown political and security debate with World Cup implications.
For the first time, a Bangladeshi star has been picked by an IPL franchise and then ruled out not on form or fitness grounds, but following direct intervention from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Acting on the board’s directive, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) released Mustafizur, effectively shutting the door on his IPL season before it began.
The move has sent shockwaves through cricket circles in Dhaka. Mustafiz is not just another overseas recruit. He is Bangladesh’s premier white-ball bowler, a proven IPL performer and a key weapon ahead of the T20 World Cup. His forced exclusion has raised uncomfortable questions about how politics, security and cricket are now colliding.
Despite the scale of the issue, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has yet to issue an official response. The silence has only deepened speculation and frustration among fans and former players alike.
Repeated attempts by Jago News to contact BCB President Aminul Islam Bulbul, CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury, Cricket Operations Manager Nazmul Abedin Fahim and director Iftikhar Rahman Mithu were unsuccessful. Bulbul and three directors – Mithu, Amjad Hossain and Abul Bashar Shiplu – are currently in Sylhet for the inauguration of the board’s first regional office outside Dhaka. Board insiders believe the president may break his silence during the programme.
What has made the situation more sensitive is the growing belief that security concerns played a decisive role. Reports of threats against Mustafiz from extremist groups over his IPL participation have fuelled fears that the issue goes far beyond one player and one tournament.
With the T20 World Cup scheduled to be held in India later this year, the BCB now finds itself facing a difficult and potentially historic decision. If a national icon cannot be guaranteed safety in a domestic league, how secure will the entire Bangladesh team be during a global event?
Sources close to the board say the BCB is preparing to raise the matter formally with the International Cricket Council (ICC), highlighting the potential risks involved. Discussions are expected to focus on player safety, neutrality and the possibility of alternative venues if concerns remain unresolved.
For now, Mustafiz’s IPL heartbreak has opened a far bigger debate. What began as a selection issue has evolved into a test of Bangladesh’s resolve, its cricketing dignity and its readiness to stand firm as a World Cup looms on Indian soil.