Manoj Tiwary Voices Concerns Over Bangladesh's Participation in T20 World Cup

Tiwary's Strong Stance on Sporting Relations

New Delhi, January 15: Former Indian cricketer Manoj Tiwary has expressed his firm views regarding Bangladesh's potential travel to India for the upcoming T20 World Cup, emphasizing that sports should not overshadow humanitarian issues.

In his comments, Tiwary referenced previous events and reiterated his consistent position. He stated, “Following the Pahalgam terrorist attack, I believed that India should refrain from playing against Pakistan. Despite government approval, my view remains that such matches should not occur.”

He elaborated that the matter transcends the realm of cricket. “If any Indian citizen is brutally killed in any nation, be it Bangladesh, England, Australia, or elsewhere, India should not sustain sporting ties with that country,” he remarked.

Tiwary further noted, “While sports should remain separate from serious issues, matches will still proceed as they did against Pakistan in the past. However, my personal belief is clear: they should not play.”

His comments arise amid escalating tensions in Bangladesh, characterized by attacks on the Hindu community and increasing anti-India sentiments.

Previously, Bangladesh's Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul indicated that the environment is unsuitable for the T20 World Cup in India, citing a “letter” from the International Cricket Council (ICC) security team, as reported by the state news agency BSS.

However, ICC sources clarified that independent risk assessments conducted by recognized security experts did not find any justification for Bangladesh to withdraw from its scheduled T20 World Cup matches in India, indicating that the overall security risk for the tournament is assessed as low to moderate, aligning with many significant global sporting events.