Bangladesh cricket ‘affected’ by off-field tensions ahead of T20 World Cup

Bangladesh Test captain Najmul Hossain Shanto has spoken of the pressure on teammates as T20 World Cup looms in India.

Bangladesh cricketers are often ‌forced to mask the impact of controversies in the build-up to and ‍at major tournaments, ‍despite how the external noise affects them, Test captain Najmul Hossain Shanto has said.

Uncertainty looms over Bangladesh’s participation in the Twenty20 World Cup following a request by the Bangladesh Cricket Board to the International Cricket Council to move ⁠their World Cup matches out of India over safety concerns.

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“We haven’t got a good ​result in any World Cup. We had a good opportunity last time [at ‍the 2024 T20 World Cup], but we couldn’t do it,” Shanto said.

“You will notice that before every World Cup, there’s some incident that takes place. As a player who ‍has played one ⁠or two of these tournaments, I can tell you that it affects us.

“But we act as if nothing affects us since we are professional cricketers. Even you know that it affects us. It is not easy. It is better if these things didn’t happen. I think the players still try to keep all things aside to perform well.”

Bangladesh, who have never won a ​World Cup title, are scheduled to play three World Cup ‌matches in Kolkata next month.

Tensions have heightened in recent weeks between Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Bangladesh.

Hundreds protested near Bangladesh’s High Commission in New Delhi last month after a Hindu factory worker was beaten and ‌set on fire in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh district over allegations he insulted the Prophet Muhammad.

According to several Indian media reports, the ‌ICC told Bangladesh they must play in India, which ⁠is co-hosting the February 7-March 8 event with Sri Lanka, or forfeit the matches.

However, the BCB dismissed claims of any ultimatum as “completely false”, saying it intended to work with the ICC for a mutually acceptable ‌solution.

“I would also add that this thing is beyond our control,” said Shanto, who has not been included in the T20 World Cup squad.

“Wherever we play the World Cup ‍, ultimately I would think that the players have to act like nothing is bothering them, and they can do well for the team.”