Sports adviser wants Bangladesh’s WC matches shifted to Sri Lanka

Dr Asif Nazrul, Adviser for Youth and Sports, has instructed the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to request the International Cricket Council (ICC) to hold Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup matches in Sri Lanka instead of India.

The directive comes after fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman was removed from the Kolkata Knight Riders squad despite being selected at the IPL auction.

“As the Adviser in charge of the Ministry of Sports, I have told the cricket board to write to the ICC explaining the entire matter. The board should inform them that if a Bangladeshi player cannot play in India despite being contracted, the entire Bangladesh cricket team cannot feel safe going there to play in the World Cup,” Asif Nazrul wrote on his Facebook page at 11:31 pm on Saturday.

Condemning Mustafizur’s removal, he added, “The Indian Cricket Board has instructed Kolkata Knight Riders to drop Bangladesh cricketer Mustafizur Rahman from the team for bowing to extremist communal groups.”

Asif Nazrul also said he has requested the Adviser on Information and Broadcasting to stop the broadcast of Bangladesh IPL matches.

“We will in no way tolerate the humiliation of Bangladesh cricket, its cricketers, and Bangladesh. The days of slavery are over!” he concluded.