Former England cricketer and analyst Mark Butcher has described the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) decision to exclude Bangladesh from the upcoming T20 World Cup as “unprecedented” and “utter chaos.” According to the report, Bangladesh had requested to play its World Cup matches in Sri Lanka due to security concerns in India. The ICC, however, rejected the request and, under pressure from India, removed Bangladesh from the global tournament.

Speaking on the Wisden Cricket Weekly podcast, Butcher criticized the ICC for allegedly changing its rules to favor India, citing the example of India’s Champions Trophy matches being relocated to Dubai instead of Pakistan. He argued that such flexibility for one team undermines fairness in world cricket.

Butcher further urged that similar standards should apply to all teams in the future. He suggested that if a team refuses to play in a country citing security reasons, it should either ensure safety and participate or withdraw, allowing another team to take its place.