Bangladesh star pacer Mustafizur Rahman has been named in Wisden Cricket Monthly’s 2025 Men’s T20 Team of the Year, following a standout season across international and franchise cricket.

The former England all-rounder spoke about Bangladesh cricket’s development gaps, the BPL’s reputation issues, the politics shaping the modern game, and more.

On the question of whether Bangladesh would consider playing at an alternate venue in India, the BCB boss stressed that the decision ultimately rests with the government.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has broken its silence on Bangladesh’s request to relocate their T20 World Cup matches outside India, but stopped short of addressing the issue directly.

Fizz is a case study. When Mustafizur Rahman, a.k.a. Fizz, the unassuming fast bowler with deceptive slow cutters, was auctioned for Rs 9.2 crore, Bangladeshi media once again started paying attention to the Indian Premier League.

Bangladesh former captain Tamim Iqbal said on Thursday that the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) needs to consider the interests and future of Bangladesh cricket before making a decision regarding the T20 World Cup. The BCB has conveyed that it wants Bangladesh’s matches to be held in Sri Lanka instead of India.

Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman’s exclusion from the Indian Premier League (IPL) has sparked widespread discussion in recent days. The issue has also triggered a series of off-field developments, with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) even holding talks with the International Cricket Council (ICC) over the possibility of relocating their upcoming ICC T20 World Cup matches from India.

Most of Bangladesh's top players are currently in Sylhet for the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) T20, receiving updates amid uncertainty, heightened after Indian Premier League's (IPL) Kolkata Knight Riders released Mustafizur Rahman from their squad.

Off-field battles in cricket are nothing new, but this time, off-field politics has shaken the cricketing world, with Bangladesh firmly at the centre of attention.

Days after Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman was removed from the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Pakistan Super League (PSL) has “welcomed” the left-arm pacer for the 11th edition of the franchise-based T20 tournament.

Bangladesh pacer Tanzim Sakib has admitted that he may have to rethink the prospect of entering the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction next season following Kolkata Knight Riders’ decision to release Mustafizur Rahman upon instructions from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

The decision to ask IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman was not the result of deliberations within the Indian cricket board, nor was the Indian Premier League’s governing council consulted on the matter, The Indian Express has reported.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Aminul Islam said on Monday that the board does not feel safe sending the national team to India for the upcoming T20 World Cup scheduled for next month.

The decision comes in the aftermath of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman’s removal from Kolkata Knight Riders squad following directives from BCCI.

BCCI’s unjust treatment of Mustafizur deplorable

Off-field turbulence seemed to have little impact on Mustafizur Rahman as the left-arm pacer once again showcased what he is best known for -- ice-cool bowling at the death -- to steer Rangpur Riders to a thrilling five-run victory over Dhaka Capitals in Sunday night’s Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) match in Sylhet.

The decision was made in an emergency meeting held in the afternoon today.

The uproar over Mustafizur Rahman’s shock removal from the IPL by the BCCI on Saturday is far from over, with calls from Bangladesh to shift its matches from India to Sri Lanka for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026, set to begin on February 7, only getting louder.

The development overshadowed a scheduled rest day in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) T20.

Law and Sports Adviser of the interim government, Dr Asif Nazrul, has strongly protested the directive to remove Bangladeshi cricketer Mustafizur Rahman from IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on political grounds.