"Bangladesh cricket's future must be considered...": Tamim Iqbal on team's participation in T20 World Cup amid Mustafizur row

Dhaka [Bangladesh], January 9 (ANI): Amid the uncertainty of Bangladesh visiting India for the upcoming T20 World Cup, former men's team captain Tamim Iqbal said that the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) should look to resolve the issue at hand via dialogue, keeping the country's cricketing interests and future at the forefront.
Tamim made this statement on the sidelines of the trophy-unveiling ceremony of the Zia Inter-University Cricket Tournament at the City Club ground on Thursday.
Bangladesh's visit to India for their T20 WC fixtures is uncertain as of now, with the board putting forth a request to the International Cricket Council (ICC) to relocate its matches outside India due to keeping "safety, security concerns" of players in mind. This request came after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) instructed Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL 2026 squad, and the move was carried out, amid atrocities against minorities in Bangladesh.
Tamim Iqbal said that, since he is not part of the BCB, he learns about developments through the media and should not comment without full information. However, he stressed that Bangladesh cricket's interests and future must be prioritised and any issues should ideally be resolved through dialogue.
"Since I am not involved [with the BCB], like any other regular person I am finding things out through the media. But I am sure those dealing with these matters have a lot more information. So in that regard, I should not suddenly be making comments. What I am saying, however, is that Bangladesh cricket's interest, future and everything else must be considered before making such a decision. There is nothing better than if something can be resolved through dialogue," Tamim said as per The Daily Star.
Tamim Iqbal said that sensitive issues should be discussed internally within the board before any public comments, as statements can be hard to retract. He again emphasised that Bangladesh cricket's future takes priority, and since most funding comes from the ICC, decisions should focus on what benefits the sport in the country.
"What I feel, and I think I would have done the same if I were there, is that since this is a sensitive issue, before making public comments, we would discuss the matter ourselves [within the board]. Because when you make a public comment, right or wrong, it becomes difficult to step back from that position. Bangladesh cricket's future comes before everything else, and 90 to 95 percent of the finances come from the ICC, so decisions have to be made based on what will help Bangladesh cricket," Tamim added.
Muatafizur's inclusion had led to immense backlash in India amid all the atrocities being carried out in Bangladesh against minorities.
After Mustafizur's release from the IPL, BCB said it had received a response from the ICC regarding its concerns about the security and safety of players in India during the T20 WC, including a request to relocate matches to another venue. The BCB said that in its communication, the ICC reiterated its commitment to ensuring the Bangladesh team's complete and uninterrupted participation in the tournament.
Bangladesh are scheduled to open their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign on February 7 against two-time champions West Indies at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. After the West Indies, Bangladesh will face Italy on February 9 at the same venue, then face the 2022 T20 World Cup champions, England, in Kolkata again. After facing England, Bangladesh are scheduled to travel to Mumbai to play Nepal at Wankhede Stadium. (ANI)