Ex-ICC official blames BCCI for the turmoil

New Delhi: Criticalof the BCCI's handling of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman's ouster from the IPL, former ICC Head of Communications Sami-ul-Hasan Burney on Monday said the Indian Board could have saved the T20 World Cup from the current turmoil by being more tactful.

Rahman's release from a contract with the Kolkata Knight Riders triggered a chain of events that led to Bangladesh's exit from the event starting February 7 after refusing to play in India due to "security concerns". In an apparent show of solidarity, Pakistan have nowdecided to forfeit the match against India on February 15 on government instructions. Burney, who also worked as Media Director of Pakistan Cricket Board after the end of his ICC tenure, said the BCCI could have avoided public statements announcing Rahman's ouster without actually specifying the reasons.

"I mean, things could have been easily avoided if the cricket administrators or people responsible for the game had been a little bit more careful and avoided public statements, like a Bangladesh player (Mustafizur) has to be removed from the franchise," Sami told PTI. "I mean they (the BCCI) didn't have to say it publicly. They could have easily privately told the franchise (KKR) to release the player and nobody would have known what happened and life would have moved on.