Asif Nazrul issues tough warning over Mustafiz issue, BCB strikes softer tone

Sports Desk
The country’s sports scene is in turmoil over the exclusion of star pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL. On this issue, the interim government’s sports advisor Dr. Asif Nazrul has strongly criticized India and demanded a change in the venue of the World Cup, but a different tone is being heard from the BCB. The board says that at the moment they do not have any ‘option’ to change the venue of the World Cup.

Asif Nazrul’s strong stance In a message on social media on Saturday, Sports Advisor Dr. Asif Nazrul strongly condemned the role of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). He called the exclusion of Mustafizur Rahman from KKR due to pressure from extremist communal groups an ‘insult to Bangladesh’.

The advisor made it clear that where a cricketer is not provided with security despite being contracted, the entire team’s tour to India cannot be safe. On this basis, he has directed the BCB to write to the ICC to shift Bangladesh’s World Cup matches to Sri Lanka. He even said that he will request the Information Ministry to stop broadcasting the IPL in Bangladesh.

BCB’s ‘soft’ and pragmatic stance has led to a somewhat softer stance by the BCB’s advisors. After an emergency meeting on Saturday night, a BCB director, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Daily Star that while they were shocked and humiliated by the issue, they currently considered changing the venue impossible.

The director said, “It was decided in the meeting that we will first inform the ICC and the IPL governing bodies about the current situation and seek an explanation from them. Especially the public discontent over the security issue and the way the BCB feels insulted.”

However, regarding the demand to move the venue, he reminded us of the reality and said, “We do not currently have the option of changing the venue. However, we will first seek clearance from the ICC.”

Security concerns: Although the BCB is upset that Mustafizur Rahman could not play despite being granted an NOC, they are insisting on the institutional process. According to the BCB director, ‘Since they failed to provide security to a player in the Mustafiz issue, our journalists and a large number of spectators will go there. Therefore, this security risk will be conveyed to the ICC with utmost importance.’

BCB President Aminul Islam Bulbul did not immediately comment, but the board said that emails are being sent to the ICC and IPL governing bodies and they will await a response.

This tension between the government’s tough stance at the top and the cricket board’s ‘technical’ stance has given the Mustafiz issue a new political and diplomatic twist.

Interestingly, the threatened Asif Nazrul will not remain in the same position for the entire duration of the World Cup because he will have to leave the government after the elections on February 12.