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Kapil Dev: No Decision Yet on Bangladesh Golfers Amid Bilateral Tensions

PGTI President Kapil Dev stated that no decision has been made yet regarding the participation of Bangladeshi golfers in the tour, with a board meeting scheduled to discuss the matter. This comes amid heightened bilateral tensions following reports of violence against minorities in Bangladesh and related sporting decisions. The BCCI directed IPL's KKR to release Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman, prompting Bangladesh to suspend the broadcast of the upcoming IPL season. Furthermore, the Bangladesh Cricket Board has requested the ICC to relocate its T20 World Cup matches to Sri Lanka due to security concerns.

Key Points: Kapil Dev on Bangladesh Players in PGTI Amid Tensions

  • PGTI board to discuss Bangladesh players
  • Tensions over minority incidents
  • BCCI excluded Mustafizur from IPL
  • Bangladesh suspends IPL broadcast
  • BCB requests T20 World Cup venue change
2 min read

'No decision yet': Kapil Dev on Bangladesh players' participation in PGTI events

PGTI President Kapil Dev says board will meet to decide on Bangladesh golfers' participation as India-Bangladesh tensions escalate.

"There has been no decision yet regarding the participation of Bangladesh players in the PGTI. - Kapil Dev"

New Delhi, Jan 5

Former India cricketer and current PGTI president Kapil Dev has said nothing has been decided yet on the participation of Bangladesh players amid the ongoing tension between the two neighbouring countries. He said that PGTI will hold a board meeting to discuss the matter.

Tensions have increased between two nations in recent weeks following reports of violent incidents against religious minorities in the country. According to the PGTI chief, a meeting will be held soon to discuss the participation of players from Bangladesh. Jamal Hossain, Md Siddikur Rahman, and Md Akbar Hossain are the notable golf players from Bangladesh competing in the PGTI tour.

"There has been no decision yet regarding the participation of Bangladesh players in the PGTI. A board meeting will be held, after which the matter will be discussed and an update will be shared with everyone," legendary cricketer and current PGTI President Kapil Dev told IANS.

Amid increasing atrocities against minorities in Bangladesh, the BCCI directed the IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release pace spearhead Mustafizur Rahman from the squad.

In response, the Bangladesh government on Monday ordered the suspension of the broadcast of all matches of the upcoming IPL season.

"It is hereby informed that a directive issued by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has come to notice, whereby Bangladesh's star cricketer Mr Mustafizur Rahman has been excluded from the Kolkata Knight Riders team for the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament scheduled to commence on March 26, 2026. No reasonable justification for such a decision by the BCCI is known, and this decision has caused pain, distress, and anger among the people of Bangladesh," read a statement from Bangladesh's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

Due to growing concerns regarding security and advice provided by their government, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Sunday requested the ICC to relocate all their T20 World Cup matches scheduled in February to Sri Lanka.

India and Sri Lanka are scheduled to co-host the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup, with matches slated across multiple venues in both countries.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
While I understand the sensitivity, we must stand with minorities facing persecution anywhere. If our government and BCCI are taking a stance, PGTI should follow suit. National sentiment matters more than a golf tour.
A
Aman W
Kapil Dev is handling this wisely. Don't rush, hold the meeting, discuss all angles. A hasty decision either way could make things worse. Sports bodies need to be diplomatic.
S
Sarah B
It's a tricky situation. On one hand, you have individual athletes' careers. On the other, there are genuine humanitarian concerns. Hope the board finds a middle path that doesn't completely punish the players.
V
Vikram M
Bangladesh banning IPL broadcast is an overreaction. Mustafizur was released by KKR, not by BCCI directly. Now they want to move World Cup matches? This tit-for-tat helps no one. Let's not drag golf into this.
K
Karthik V
Respectfully, I think we are mixing issues. The tension is about treatment of minorities. Using sports as a bargaining chip might feel powerful, but it often hurts the wrong people—the fans and players. We need clearer principles.

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