Bangladesh T20 World Cup absence amid India fall out ‘sad moment’ for cricket

The absence of Bangladesh from the forthcoming Twenty20 World Cup is a “sad moment” for cricket and should serve as a call for stakeholders to work towards uniting the sport, ‍not dividing it, the international cricketers’ association has said.

Bangladesh were replaced by Scotland in the 20-team showpiece on Saturday following their refusal to tour India over safety concerns in the wake of soured political relations between ⁠the Asian neighbours.

The governing International Cricket Council (ICC) rejected Bangladesh’s request to move their matches to tournament co-host Sri Lanka, saying it was not feasible to change the schedule so close to the World Cup’s February 7 start.

“The withdrawal of Bangladesh from the T20 World Cup, and resulting absence of ‍a valued cricketing nation from cricket’s pinnacle international T20 event, is a sad moment for our ‍sport, the Bangladesh players and fans, and one that requires deep reflection,” World Cricketers’ Association (WCA) chief executive Tom Moffat said in a statement.

“Rather than allowing division ‌or exclusion to take hold, we call on the game’s leaders to work with all stakeholders, including governing ‍bodies, leagues and players, to unite the sport, not divide it.”

The events underline the current tension in South Asian cricket.