Kevin Pietersen's Wolf vs Donkey Analogy Amid T20 World Cup 2026 Controversy

Bangladesh are out of the T20 World Cup 2026 after more than three weeks of drama. The side opted not to travel to India and paid a heavy price for it. They were eliminated from the tournament, with the International Cricket Council (ICC) replacing them with Scotland in Group C. In the initial phase of the event, Bangladesh were set to play a total of four matches in Kolkata and Mumbai. They refused to travel to India, citing security concerns in the wake of Mustafizur Rahman's ouster from the Indian Premier League.

While Bangladesh wanted their matches to be shifted to Sri Lanka -- the co-hosts of the T20 World Cup 2026 -- the ICC concluded that there was no verifiable security threat to the travelling team, officials or supporters in India and that it was not appropriate to amend the published event schedule.

The apex cricket board also gave Bangladesh a 24-hour deadline to decide on its participation. Bangladesh remained firm on its stance, and the result saw the ICC removing them from the event, with Scotland as the replacement.

Amid the ongoing controversy, former England captain Kevin Pietersen has shared a cryptic post on social media.

"Better to be the wolf that some people hate rather than the donkey that everyone rides," he wrote on X.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) director Abdur Razzak on Sunday emphasised that the board was willing to participate in the T20 World Cup 2026 in India, but ultimately had to adhere to the government's decision.

Speaking to RTV, he highlighted that government approval is required for all tours, not just the World Cup.

"We have always said that we want to play, but this is the government's decision. So we have to follow whatever the government tells us. And the decision that has been given by the government is not just for this time; whenever we have any tour, we have to get clearance from the government beforehand," the BCB director said.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) Media Committee Chairman Amzad Hussain confirmed Bangladesh's ejection from the T20 World Cup, adding that they have accepted the ICC's decision and will not pursue further action.

"We requested the ICC to relocate our matches to Sri Lanka. We had several meetings with them. Their representatives arrived, and high-ranking government officials were also present. Following that, a Zoom meeting was held, and the ICC board informed us of their decision not to relocate our matches and that we would have to play in India, per the existing fixtures. However, the government held a cabinet meeting the day after the ICC board meeting. A decision was made there, clearly stating that if there are no changes to the fixtures, our team cannot participate in the tournament in India. This decision was conveyed by the government," he said.

(With ANI Inputs)

Topics mentioned in this article

Cricket Kevin Pietersen T20 World Cup 2026 Bangladesh Cricket Team England Cricket Team