Manoj Tiwary, former Indian cricketer, smashed Bangladesh’s decision on the stance of the T20 World Cup. He alleged political interference in cricket while mocking security concerns while pointing out that Bangladesh’s former PM Sheikh Hasina is safely residing in India.
While talking about the objection to ANI, he stated, “It wasn’t from the board’s side. Today, if you watched the press conference, the Sports Minister gave a statement to the media, saying there is a security risk, but the board president was standing right next to him. Generally, in other countries, the cricket board is an autonomous body, and political and ministerial involvement is limited only to organising the events.”
He further expressed, “But in their country, politics has entered the picture, and political figures have become heavily involved in the board, and these kinds of decisions are emerging. Regarding the safety, if that’s the question, then Sheikh Hasina also came to our country after the protests there, and she is safe here, isn’t she? The central government of our country has provided her with good security and given her refuge here. So, if a country’s Prime Minister can come and live safely here, then the players will definitely get safety,” he added.
The veteran further smashed the cricket board for crushing their player’s dream. He alleged that BCB’s decision to not play in the T20 World Cup is a loss to their cricketers who dream to play in a bigger platform like the world cup. He further expressed his opinion about direct political influence on the matter. Tiwary condemned the thinktank of the cricket board for their stance in such a decision.
Tiwari stated, “This is a loss for the players. All the Bangladeshi players always want to play for their country, and it’s their dream to participate in the World Cup and perform well there, which further brightens their individual careers. But what can the players do now? It wasn’t in the players’ hands, and the ICC’s instruction was simply, “Either you play, or you leave.”
“Why did the Bangladesh Cricket Board take such a decision, given that the ICC chairman and the ICC itself are so powerful? We know the board didn’t take the decision. The Sports Ministry there took it, and I’ve always said that if politics enters sports, you see these kinds of things happening, and this time it’s been proven again that politics has entered sports. Because of this, such a major decision was taken that they are not coming to play in the World Cup,” he added.
The apex cricket board rejected BCB’s plea for changing match venues from India following various meetings.
Bangladesh are set to start their campaign on 7th February against the two-time champions, the West Indies, at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
