Former South Africa cricketer Jonty Rhodes has said sport and politics cannot be separated, commenting on the controversy surrounding Bangladesh’s removal from the upcoming T20 World Cup.
Bangladesh’s exclusion has triggered widespread debate after the ICC decided on Saturday to remove them from the tournament and award their place to Scotland. The decision followed Bangladesh’s refusal to play their scheduled matches in India, citing security concerns.
Bangladesh had formally requested that their matches be moved to Sri Lanka, a proposal discussed for three weeks before being rejected by the ICC. When the Bangladesh Cricket Board stood firm on its position, the governing body opted to exclude the team from the competition.
The dispute has its roots in political tensions. Following allegations of minority persecution in Bangladesh, protests by Indian political leaders and religious groups led the Indian board to instruct Kolkata Knight Riders to drop Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their squad. The franchise later released the bowler despite having signed him at auction for Tk 9cr.
Relations between the two boards deteriorated further when the BCB announced it would not travel to India for the World Cup. Bangladesh also wrote to the ICC requesting a change of venue for their matches. Shortly afterwards, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Information announced a suspension of IPL broadcasts in the country.
Ultimately, neither side shifted its stance. Bangladesh did not agree to travel to India, and the ICC did not approve a venue change, resulting in Bangladesh’s removal from the tournament.
Speaking at a promotional event for the upcoming World Cup, Rhodes referenced South Africa’s own history of exclusion from international sport, having been banned from cricket for 21 years due to apartheid-era government policies.
“We always think that sport should be kept separate from politics,” Rhodes said. “But unfortunately, you cannot separate politics from sport.”
