Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Aminul Islam Bulbul has opted not to attend Sunday’s high-profile T20 World Cup clash between India and Pakistan at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, citing Bangladesh’s absence from the tournament.
Aminul, who had been invited by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for the marquee fixture on February 15, reconsidered his plans at the last minute and decided to return to Dhaka. He felt it would not be appropriate to attend the match while Bangladesh are not participating in the event. The decision was taken after he returned from a meeting of the Asian Cricket Council in Kuwait.
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BCB umpires committee chairman Iftekhar Rahman told Cricbuzz on Saturday that Aminul did not wish to travel to Colombo merely as a spectator for the high-voltage encounter.
“I spoke with Aminul Islam. Since Bangladesh isn’t in it, he said, ‘Why should I go there just to watch the match?’ So he refused,” Rahman said.
“Maybe at first he said he would go, but later realised if Bangladesh isn’t playing, what’s the point of going unnecessarily,” he said.
HOW DID BANGLADESH MISS T20 WORLD CUP?
Earlier, Bangladesh withdrew from the T20 World Cup, citing security concerns over playing their matches in India. Asif Nazrul, an adviser to the Bangladesh government, stated that the Tigers would participate only if their fixtures were moved out of India.
The controversy intensified after Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) released Mustafizur Rahman from their squad following a directive from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Mustafizur had been signed for Rs 9.20 crore, making him the most expensive Bangladeshi player in IPL history, but was subsequently omitted.
Aminul also played a pivotal role in facilitating discussions between the BCB, the ICC, and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in Lahore. Those talks eventually prompted Pakistan to reverse its initial boycott threat and agree to play India — a move widely viewed as crucial to preserving one of cricket’s most commercially and culturally significant rivalries.
Aminul thanked Pakistan for standing by Bangladesh but emphasised that, in the broader interests of the global cricket ecosystem, it was important for Pakistan to go ahead with the match. After the Pakistan government announced its intention to boycott the fixture against India in solidarity with Bangladesh, Aminul travelled to Lahore and met ICC Deputy Chairman Imran Khwaja and PCB chief Naqvi in an effort to defuse the situation.
Meanwhile, following Bangladesh’s withdrawal, Scotland were drafted in as a replacement. Bangladesh had been scheduled to play their first three matches at Eden Gardens in Kolkata before heading to the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Their absence marked the first time Bangladesh missed a T20 World Cup.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
