Much has already been said about Bangladesh’s decision not to come to India for the T20 World Cup. Clearly, it is a reaction to what happened the day before, and India’s decision not to allow Mustafizur Rahman to play in the IPL. Miffed by the call, the political establishment in Bangladesh had to react – and they did. Till this point, it was all fine. But the reason cited – security considerations and the safety of the team and players – is where things become problematic.
First, security wasn’t an issue till the day before. Everything was fine, and even Mustafizur was keen on joining KKR. So, how did security suddenly become an issue? In trying to retaliate, the BCB has made security its sword – once it says so, the government gets involved and pressure is put on the ICC. The truth is there is no security threat, and the BCB knows that as well. Had there been, Bangladesh wouldn’t have signed off on the World Cup schedule weeks ago. This is a political reaction to India’s decision, and with elections just weeks away, the government in Bangladesh can’t be seen as passive.
Let me be candid here. I understand that the BCB was under compulsion to react. There must have been pressure on them from their own government. How could they not react when a player was asked to leave the IPL? But by making security the grounds for the pull-out, Bangladesh may have opened a Pandora’s box. When did this threat emerge? Have they ever said security was an issue in the past? How is it that fans had planned to come to Kolkata and Mumbai, and there was no travel advisory against it?
How did this security threat suddenly emerge within a day of the BCCI deciding to stop Mustafizur from playing in the IPL? How will this stand scrutiny from other participating countries? The truth is this is political tit-for-tat – a knee-jerk reaction and an attempt to show themselves as strong enough to see India eye to eye. Security is nothing but a veil, from behind which the political establishment is firing its venom at India.
What is the ICC going to do? Can they change the World Cup schedule this late in the day? If they agree to do so, what happens to the fans who have already bought tickets and made plans? What about logistics, and how will the ICC manage travel arrangements going forward? What about Eden Gardens? If Bangladesh’s games are moved away from Kolkata, will the venue be given other matches?
There are far too many questions that we don’t have answers to just yet. Having said that, one thing is certain: the security-threat argument isn’t really going to hold water. There is no such threat in Kolkata or Mumbai. Rather, this is a game of political one-upmanship, and with elections around the corner, Bangladesh can’t afford to look weak. Maybe that’s why the sports advisor mentioned that “the days of slavery are over” in one of his posts.
For me, I don’t think there was ever slavery. We have always enjoyed hosting and watching Bangladesh, and would have loved them to be upfront and honest about the withdrawal. Had they said this was in reaction to Mustafizur being stopped, I’d have said it was a fair call. To say it’s because of security doesn’t really add up – it is a blatant untruth.
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