The consequences of boycotting the World Cup could be dire—‘Nobody but Zimbabwe will play with us,’ warns Sujan

In December, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) signed Bangladesh national team star pacer Mustafizur Rahman for a record Rs 9.2 crore in the IPL mini-auction. There was great excitement among cricket fans in the country surrounding this deal. However, that joy did not last long. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) ultimately decided to exclude Mustafizur from the IPL due to objections from Hindu extremists in India and security concerns.

The Mustafiz issue created a strong reaction in the Bangladeshi cricket arena. The question arose—if India cannot ensure the safety of a foreign cricketer in a franchise tournament like the IPL, then how will it ensure the safety of the entire Bangladesh team, team management, journalists and fans in the T20 World Cup starting in February? This concern quickly became a national discussion.

In this context, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has written to the ICC twice, expressing its strong stance. At the same time, the Bangladesh government has also clearly stated that there are serious concerns about the safety of Bangladesh team players and fans in India. As a result, the issue of not being able to play the World Cup on Indian soil in such a situation has come under discussion.

However, former captain and former head coach of the Bangladesh national team, Khaled Mahmud Sujan, has given a serious warning about the possible consequences of boycotting the World Cup. According to him, this decision can cause terrible financial and diplomatic losses for Bangladeshi cricket.

Sujan said, “There is a risk of major financial losses if the World Cup is not played in India. If you boycott the T20 World Cup, no country except Zimbabwe will want to play with Bangladesh. Then you will get TV coverage? How much money will you earn? How will you run cricket without financial income?”—his comment makes it clear that boycotting the World Cup is not just about withdrawing from a tournament, but can be a big blow to the country's cricket future.

All in all, the incident of Mustafizur Rahman's exclusion from the IPL is no longer limited to a personal or tournament-centric issue. It has taken the form of a larger discussion about security, international relations, financial stability and the future of Bangladesh cricket. Whatever the decision, experienced cricket analysts and former captains are indicating that its impact will be long-term.