In a blistering attack, former Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) general secretary and ex-Asian Cricket Council (ACC) CEO Syed Ashraful Haque has condemned the deep-rooted political interference in cricket administration across the subcontinent. He labelled the ongoing controversy surrounding pacer Mustafizur Rahman and Bangladesh's participation in the upcoming T20 World Cup as "ridiculous" and "a parody".
Cricket 'Hijacked by Politicians', Says Veteran Administrator
Speaking from Kuala Lumpur, Haque expressed his dismay at how the sport has been taken over by political figures with little understanding of the game. "The whole cricket ecosystem in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, everywhere has been hijacked by politicians," Haque stated. He contrasted the current leadership with seasoned administrators of the past like Jagmohan Dalmiya, I.S. Bindra, Madhavrao Scindia, and N.K.P. Salve, who he said would have never allowed such a situation to arise due to their maturity and comprehension of the sport's implications.
He did not mince words while criticizing the present scenario. "Now it has been hijacked completely. You have people who have never held a bat. In your case, you have Jay Shah, who has never even held a cricket bat in a competitive match," Haque remarked, pointing to the lack of practical cricket experience among current decision-makers.
Bangladesh's T20 World Cup Participation in Jeopardy
The controversy stems from Bangladesh's demand to shift its T20 World Cup matches away from India following Mustafizur Rahman's early exit from the Indian Premier League (IPL) due to visa issues. Haque slammed the reaction from Bangladesh's sports advisor, who suggested the team should not travel to India. "This is a World Cup event. This is not the IPL. IPL is a domestic tournament. This is an international World Cup event. You cannot come out with rash statements like this," he emphasized.
Haque argued that the issue is being driven by "cheap religious sentiment" and election politics in states like West Bengal and Assam. He suggested that moving Bangladesh's matches to a neutral venue like Sri Lanka would be a simple and fair solution, creating a win-win for all parties. "If they can move it to Sri Lanka, it's a win-win situation for everybody. If they can't, I doubt whether Bangladesh will come to India to play this," he warned.
Financial Loss vs National Pride
When questioned about the potential financial penalties Bangladesh could face from the ICC if they refuse to send their team, Haque took a firm stance. He asserted that "national pride is much bigger than financial losses," indicating a readiness to bear the cost for what is perceived as a matter of principle.
He also drew a sharp distinction between the India-Pakistan cricketing relationship and that of India-Bangladesh, which he described as fraternal. "India and Bangladesh are like brothers... BCCI played a big role in helping us get the Test status," he recalled, lamenting how current political posturing is damaging this historic bond.
Haque concluded by blaming the entire impasse on the influx of inexperienced figures into sports governance. "We have a sports advisor who has never held a cricket bat. He is a teacher and a revolutionary. What does he care about cricket? He is after publicity and he is there only for the next two months," he said, highlighting the short-term, politically motivated nature of the crisis that threatens a global sporting event.
