BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla has claimed that India wanted Bangladesh to participate in the T20 World Cup but the team opted out, citing government and security concerns. In an interview with ANI, Shukla suggested that Pakistan had influenced Bangladesh’s decision, which ultimately led to the team missing out on the tournament.
Shukla said India had provided full assurances of security, promising there would be no issues. “We wanted Bangladesh to play. We assured them complete security. They just said they would not send the team, the government has said the team should not go, and if they played it would only be in Colombo,” he said.
The controversy began when Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman was withdrawn from the IPL due to safety concerns. The Bangladesh Cricket Board and the government reportedly insisted that the team should play only in another host nation, Sri Lanka. Despite these concerns, the ICC did not change the schedule, and Scotland was ultimately brought in to replace Bangladesh.
While some observers have linked the absence to strained relations between India and Bangladesh, Shukla rejected this view. He said India had guaranteed the team’s safety and wanted them to participate. He added that Pakistan had a role in misguiding Bangladesh. “Pakistan has played a significant role in instigating Bangladesh. The world knows what Pakistan has done in the past. That is why the country became separate. Now it is leading Bangladesh down the wrong path,” he said.
Shukla also emphasised that it was practically impossible to alter the World Cup schedule at the last minute. “Changing the entire schedule at the last moment is very difficult, almost impossible. That is why ICC brought in Scotland,” he said.
