'Don't feel secure sending team to India, next step depends on ICC's reply' – Aminul Islam

Bangladesh Cricket Board president Aminul Islam said on Monday that they will determine their next course of action based on the reply from the ICC.

The BCB requested the ICC to relocate their T20 World Cup matches out of India, citing security concerns after their premier bowler Mustafizur Rahman was released from the Kolkata Knight Riders squad ahead of the Indian Premier League, as per the directive of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

"You know that we, along with all the directors of the cricket board, held two meetings before taking this decision and at this moment we do not feel secure sending our team to India to play the World Cup," Aminul told reporters.

"So we wrote a letter to the ICC, and in the letter we clearly stated what we wanted to say. Because to us, security appeared to be a major concern and that is what we are following. We have sent an email to the ICC and we are expecting them to tell us to have a meeting with them soon where we will express our concern," he said.

"But what our next step will be depends on the reply to the email we have sent. We do not know what feedback will come (from ICC), but the clauses we have given are within the MPO. We are not communicating with BCCI because this is an ICC event. We are communicating with the ICC," he said.

The growing expectation following this incident is that India might not be keen to travel to Bangladesh for their scheduled white-ball series in September, as the relationship between the two countries is not very cordial, though Aminul begs to differ.

"Look, cricket between the two countries (relationship between India and Bangladesh), like playing a bilateral series or playing in the World Cup, is one thing and security concern is another matter," said Aminul.

"So for now, we are thinking about the World Cup issue (security)," he said.

A day after the BCB officially requested the ICC to change their venues, the Bangladesh Ministry of Information and Broadcasting instructed all broadcasters in the country to stop airing the Indian Premier League. Aminul said that he does not have much to say in this regard as it was a government directive.

"This is India's domestic cricket, and in domestic cricket, whom to show or not to show is the decision of our government. From our side, since the government, through the Ministry of Information, has taken this decision, we have nothing to say. However, it is true that we support the decision taken by the government," he said.