TColombo’s R Premadasa Stadium may currently be hosting a one-day international series, but the real show starts in less than two weeks. The venue has been decked out with branding for the upcoming T20 Men’s World Cup, co-hosted by Sri Lanka and India: a banner hangs across the front, an image of the trophy accompanied by a simple slogan: “Feel the thrill”.
Of course, this is what it should be like when you approach a global tournament, a real buzz when the world is welcomed to an island. Inside the stadium during Sri Lanka’s second ODI against England on Saturday, a poster was on display that read: “We will repeat 2014”, a nod to their tournament victory 12 years ago, a crowning achievement for the departing Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene. With Italy one of 20 teams taking part, the upcoming showpiece looks like a truly global event, unlike the more exclusive over-50s version.
Of course, the reality is far from cheerful. The weekend brought confirmation of a change in the final lineup, with the International Cricket Council announces Bangladesh’s absence after the country’s cricket board ruled out travel to India. Scotland will instead be late beneficiaries as the swirling force of subcontinental politics meets a governing body lacking credibility.
The episode started when Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman was dismissed by Kolkata Knight Riders early this month. the Indian Premier League franchise has been instructed to do so by the Board of Trustees for Cricket in India. Devajit Saikia, the board secretary, vaguely stated that this was “due to recent developments”.
Tensions between the two countries had already escalated. Rahman’s removal came weeks after the murder of Dipu Chandra Das – a Hindu factory worker accused of blasphemy – by a mob in northern Bangladesh. Protests followed across the border, where Sheikh Hasina – the deposed prime minister of Bangladesh – remains in exile. Shah Rukh Khan, the Bollywood megastar and KKR owner, faced attacks from religious and political figures in India over the signing of his franchise.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board’s response came quickly after Rahman’s removal. On the advice of the Bangladesh government, it highlighted the “safety and security concerns of the Bangladeshi contingent in India” and refused to play in the country.
The ICC statement as to why she was not obliged is lengthy. It took into account “all security assessments carried out… all of which indicated that there was no threat to Bangladesh players, media persons, officials and fans at any of the tournament venues in India”. There was a lot of dialogue with the BCB, it explained, and it was “not feasible to make changes so close to the tournament”. It claimed this “could set a precedent that would compromise the sanctity of future ICC events and undermine its neutrality as a global governing body.”
One naturally wonders why such details were not provided when India did not travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy last year. The governing body’s press release to conclude that saga was brief: by simply stating that Pakistan and India would not visit each other during ICC events during the current rights cycle. No explanation was given as to why this had come about, how this was decided, what specific concerns India had about its tour of Pakistan, who had visited their neighboring country during the 2023 World Cup.
The “sanctity of future ICC events” is a particularly tragicomic line. The decision on the Champions Trophy has “set a precedent” and established a hybrid model that has already turned ICC tournaments into a joke. India settled in Dubai during their Champions Trophy triumph last year, while other sides flew in and out of two countries, with the brilliance of Rohit Sharma’s side overshadowed by the lopsidedness of the whole thing. When the Women’s World Cup was held in India last year, Pakistan’s matches were moved to Colombo’s wet season, where five matches were lost.
“Neutrality” is another curious term in the statement. It is always worth remembering that the current chairman of the ICC is Jay Shah, previously honorary secretary of the BCCI and son of Amit Shah, India’s Home Minister and long-time confidant of Narendra Modi.
Pakistan’s matches in the upcoming World Cup will all be played in Sri Lanka, adding to the farce. Yet Mohsin Naqvi, chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board and the country’s home minister, has cast doubt on the party’s participation after Bangladesh’s removal, claiming the final decision rests with the government.
The ghost of 1996 is long gone. Sri Lanka, in the midst of the civil war, also co-hosted the World Cup at the time. While Australia and the West Indies forfeited their matches in Colombo after bombing a bank in the city weeks before the start to prove the island was safe, a combined India-Pakistan XI took the field against Sri Lanka at the Premadasa Stadium on the eve of the tournament. Wasim Akram and Sachin Tendulkar were among the names involved in a show of solidarity: South Asians united. It’s a historical event that isn’t talked about enough.
American writer Mike Marqusee was present that day and witnessed Akram and Tendulkar’s embrace after they jointly dismissed Romesh Kaluwitharana. “It was hard to believe that less than twenty-four hours earlier, Indian and Pakistani forces were exchanging fire across the disputed border of Kashmir,” he wrote in War Minus The Shooting. “Not for the only time that day I felt a lump in my throat.” That memory is worth holding on to.
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