‘Bangladesh did the right thing’ – says legend on India issue

Amid the political and diplomatic tension that has arisen over Bangladesh in the upcoming T20 World Cup, England legend and cricket analyst Nasser Hussain has now publicly supported Bangladesh’s position. At the same time, he also praised Pakistan’s role in standing by Bangladesh.

Speaking to Mike Atherton on a Sky Sports podcast, Nasser Hussain said, ‘I’m actually happy that Bangladesh has stood by their position. They have stood by their player Mustafizur Rahman. And I also like Pakistan’s point – even though it is political, they have stood by Bangladesh.’

When the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) refused to send a team to India, citing security concerns, the International Cricket Council (ICC) excluded Bangladesh and included Scotland. This decision has sparked a huge debate in the 10th edition of the T20 World Cup, which begins in Sri Lanka and India from February 7.

England legend and cricket analyst Nasser Hussain/Collected
The incident began on January 3, when IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) dropped Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the team on the instructions of the BCCI. The situation quickly became complicated after this decision.

Pakistan announced a boycott of the group stage match against India on February 15 in protest of Bangladesh's exclusion from the World Cup. According to Nasser Hussain, this is Pakistan's most effective weapon in pressuring the ICC or India.

He said, "At some point, someone has to say - this politics has been enough, let's get back to cricket. The reality is, the place where Pakistan can hurt the ICC or India is the economic aspect of the India-Pakistan match."

Nasser Hussain also highlighted India's role as the most powerful financial power in world cricket. He warned, "Indian fans may say, 'We have money'. But with power comes responsibility. "If Bangladesh or Pakistan are repeatedly cornered, their cricket will weaken. Then those competitive matches between India and Bangladesh or India and Pakistan will become one-sided."