The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has clarified its stance on the ongoing controversy surrounding Bangladeshi fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman.
The board stated that the decision regarding Bangladesh’s participation in the T20 World Cup and the venues for their matches is a matter for the International Cricket Council (ICC), not the BCCI.
This statement came after a review meeting of the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE).
Why the BCCI distanced itself
BCCI Secretary Devjit Saikia directly addressed the issue, saying, “The meeting was about the CoE and other crickling matters. It’s not our domain to talk about that (as the ICC has the final say on Bangladesh’s participation in the T20 World Cup).”
He clarified that the meeting was entirely focused on the cricketing structure and future planning, not the World Cup venue controversy.
Recently, the BCCI instructed the IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Mustafizur Rahman, which angered the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). Following this, Bangladesh requested the ICC to shift their T20 World Cup matches outside of India.
Amidst this controversy, the BCCI meeting was held in Mumbai, where the functioning of the CoE, and the future tours of the Under-19 and India A teams were discussed.
BCCI President Mithun Manhas, Vice-President Rajiv Shukla, and Head of Cricket at the CoE, VVS Laxman, were present at the meeting.
Discussions on CoE preparations
Devjit Saikia also spoke openly about the status of the CoE. He said, “We assessed the vacancies at the CoE and decided to proceed with the recruitment process soon. There is an acute shortage of technical personnel worldwide, but we are trying to fill the positions at the earliest.”
He also mentioned that several key positions are currently vacant at the center, such as Head of Education and Head of Sports Science.
Saikia further added, “We thought it was an appropriate time to review the preparations and activities of the CoE. We are hosting matches on the three grounds there (including the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy). We also discussed how the A tours need to be scheduled going forward.” He also added that the India A team and the senior team’s tours often overlap, which creates difficulties in planning.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Cricket Board has sent a second letter to the ICC, raising security concerns in India and reiterating its request to shift the matches to Sri Lanka. The ICC will now take a further decision on the matter.
