BCCI's Public Statement on Mustafizur Ouster Sparked Pakistan Boycott Says Ex-ICC Official

Former ICC Head of Communications Sami-ul-Hasan Burney has criticised the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for its handling of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman’s release from the Indian Premier League, arguing that a more tactful approach could have averted the current turmoil surrounding the T20 World Cup 2026.

Burney said the public announcement of Mustafizur Rahman’s release from his contract with Kolkata Knight Riders acted as the trigger for a chain of events that ultimately led to Bangladesh’s withdrawal from the tournament, which begins on February 7. Bangladesh cited “security concerns” in refusing to play in India, a decision that has since escalated into a broader geopolitical controversy within world cricket. In an apparent show of solidarity with Bangladesh, Pakistan has now decided to forfeit its group-stage match against India scheduled for February 15, following instructions from its government. The move has placed the ICC under pressure and raised the prospect of sanctions, financial penalties and significant revenue losses.

Speaking to the Press Trust of India, Burney said the situation could have been handled discreetly. He argued that the BCCI did not need to make a public statement announcing Mustafizur’s ouster. According to him, the Indian board could have privately advised the franchise to release the player, avoiding unnecessary attention and diplomatic fallout. “Sometimes you make an error of judgement and make a statement which has implications. The January 3 announcement became a trigger,” Burney said.

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Burney, who also served as media director of the Pakistan Cricket Board after his ICC tenure, offered insight into the thinking of PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi, who is also Pakistan’s interior minister. He said Naqvi views the ICC’s refusal to shift Bangladesh’s matches from India to Sri Lanka as a case of “shifting goalposts”, especially when compared to earlier instances where India was permitted to skip tours to Pakistan on government advice.

Referring to November 2024, Burney recalled that the ICC had informed the PCB that the Indian government had denied permission for its team to travel to Pakistan. He said Naqvi believes similar principles were not applied when Bangladesh raised concerns earlier this year, leading to accusations of double standards within international cricket governance.

On the possibility of sanctions against Pakistan for forfeiting the India match, Burney said the government would have considered the consequences carefully. He noted that while a single India-Pakistan match could be worth around $250 million in overall economic terms, Pakistan’s annual cricket revenue is significantly lower, and the PCB has survived long periods without bilateral series against India.

Burney pointed out that Pakistan has not hosted India in a bilateral series for nearly two decades and was forced to play home matches abroad for almost 10 years, yet still managed to win major tournaments, including the 2009 T20 World Cup and the 2017 Champions Trophy. “There will be financial implications, but if the PCB survived that period, it can sustain itself again,” he said.

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