The International Cricket Council (ICC)’s decision to show Bangladesh the door from the T20 World Cup continues to provoke polarised reactions, and more and more figures associated with the game are now publicly criticising the decision taken by the world body.
On Saturday, the ICC made it official, replacing Bangladesh with Scotland in the 20-team tournament after the former refused to travel to India, citing security concerns. The ICC held multiple conversations with BCB officials; however, Bangladesh remained adamant about shifting the matches to Sri Lanka, and in the end, they were booted out of the competition.
Former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Kamran Akmal is the latest to jump on the bandwagon to criticise the ICC. Speaking on YouTube on the ‘Game Plan’ show, the 44-year-old said that the apex body should have sought a middle ground rather than asking Bangladesh to leave the tournament.
“I just feel bad as a cricketer. It is just not good for the sport. Bangladesh shouldn’t have been shown the door. The ICC should have sought a middle ground,” said Akmal.
“Bangladesh is not a club team; I just don’t feel good about the ICC’s decision. Bangladesh fans are so passionate,” he added.
Earlier, Bangladesh requested the ICC to move its matches to Sri Lanka after the BCCI and IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) released Mustafizur Rahman from the tournament owing to “recent developments.” Ever since the left-arm pacer was acquired by the three-time champions, there was a lot of furore in India amidst the dwindling relations between the two countries due to the killings of multiple Hindus in Bangladesh.
However, the ICC refused to change the original schedule after the independent security assessment showed no real threat to the Bangladesh team in India.
Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Yousuf, and Jason Gillespie hit out at the ICC
Earlier, former Pakistan cricketers Shahid Afridi and Mohammad Yousuf, along with former Australia all-rounder Jason Gillespie, hit out at the ICC for failing to address Bangladesh’s demand. The trio brought up how India got their way in the Champions Trophy, citing security threats as the primary reason for not travelling to Pakistan and wanting to play at a neutral venue.
“As a former international cricketer who has played in Bangladesh and in ICC events, I’m deeply disappointed by the ICC’s inconsistency. It accepted India’s security concerns for not touring Pakistan in 2025, yet appears unwilling to apply the same understanding to Bangladesh,” Afridi wrote on X.
“Consistency and fairness are the foundation of global cricket governance. Bangladesh’s players and millions of its fans deserve respect – not mixed standards. The ICC should build bridges, not burn them,” he added.
Gillespie, who served as Pakistan’s Test coach for a brief period, also sang the same tune. However, he deleted his post hours later after claiming that he received a lot of “abuse.”
“Has there been an explanation from the ICC why Bangladesh could not play their games outside of India? From memory, India refused to play Champions Trophy matches in Pakistan and were allowed to play those games outside the country. Can someone make this make sense?” Gillespie wrote on X.
Tom Moffat, CEO of the World Cricketers’ Association, also slammed the ICC’s inability to find a middle ground, which has caused significant suffering for Bangladesh fans and players.
“It also highlights significant issues with the game’s existing operating model at the global level. These issues, if continued to be left unaddressed, will weaken trust, unity, and ultimately the health and future of the game we love,” said Moffat.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, also spoke about what he claims to be “unfair” behaviour by the ICC towards Bangladesh. He went a step further, issuing a threat to boycott the tournament if the Pakistan Prime Minister asks the board to do so to show solidarity with Bangladesh.