ICC T20 World Cup: Bangladesh’s exclusion a precedent worth following, says Mark Butcher
Former England batsman Mark Butcher has said that Bangladesh’s exclusion from the ICC T20 World Cup should serve as a precedent that is worth following for future global tournaments, to ensure the transparency and dignity of the game.
Butcher, who played 71 Tests for England, said this on the Wisden Cricket Weekly podcast.
On 4 January, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) requested a venue change from the International Cricket Council, stating they would not play the World Cup in India due to security concerns.
After a board meeting on 21 January, the ICC stated that Bangladesh must play in India as per the original schedule. But as Bangladesh remained firm in their position, Scotland was included in their place by the ICC. The T20 World Cup, scheduled to start on 7 February, will be hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
Butcher described the exclusion of Bangladesh from the tournament as ‘a horrible mess’. He compared this situation to last year’s Champions Trophy incident where India did not go to Pakistan.
Butcher said, “There have been a lot of preceding events. Obviously the India Champions Trophy issue with Pakistan and how that ended up being resolved with India playing matches in Dubai including the final. We have had tournaments kind of rejigged and rearranged to accommodate one team or another throughout the history of the game but perhaps not quite in the way that that we've seen in recent times.”
Referring to India not playing in Pakistan during the Champions Trophy, Butcher further said, “The India example for the Champions Trophy everyone can see that coming. It was so obvious that you could see it from space that was going to be the position and the ICC had a choice to make really at that point. What actually should happen from now on.”
Butcher then added, “I think this (Bangladesh’s exclusion) is actually a precedent that I think is worth following. A team, whether due to a government decision or on their own, if they do not want to play in a country due to security or any other reason, they should be excluded. The next team gets the opportunity, and the tournament goes on without them. I think this is the precedent that should be followed.”
India did not agree to go to Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy. Following BCCI’s decision, the ICC, Pakistan Cricket Board, and BCCI reached a compromise.
It was decided that India’s matches in the tournament would be held at a neutral venue. At the same time, it was stated that from 2024 to 2027, all India–Pakistan matches in ICC events would be held at neutral venues.
Before ICC included Scotland in the T20 World Cup, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi stated at a press conference in Lahore that if Bangladesh were not allowed to play in the T20 World Cup, the Pakistan team would discuss withdrawing from the tournament with the government.
After discussions with Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Naqvi said, “The final decision will be made on Friday (today) or next Monday.”
Butcher also spoke on Pakistan’s stance, saying, “I am not being naive in thinking that everybody else stands in the same position as India does because they don't that is again visible from space. However, the integrity of the sport should still be more important than where most of the money comes from. Pakistan are catching heat here because they kind of indicated that they were kind of going to stand with Bangladesh if Bangladesh weren't able to have their games move. So now what are they going to do. Are they going to pull out? I doubt it. I think it's too late.”
Butcher believes there is only one fair way forward in such situations—he said, “It's just a horrible mess and I think that the only way through it going forward. If for some reason you are the problem or you have a problem with the tournament or where the tournament's being held or who's running the tournament or whatever else it is, then it's up to you. You either go and play, get your security sorted out as many countries have done traveling to many other different countries and you play the tournament or you step aside and somebody else does. I think that's kind of the only fair way to go forward.”
The 53-year-old Butcher played Test cricket for England from 1997 to 2004. He scored 4,288 runs, including eight centuries. He did not play in the other two formats at the international level. In first-class cricket, he played 280 matches, scoring 17,870 runs with 38 centuries. In 13 domestic T20 matches, he has two fifties.