When Politics Start Affecting the Game I Grew Up Loving


When Politics Start Affecting the Game I Grew Up Loving


 By: Aymaan Chowdhury

Date: Jan 7, 2026


I’ve grown up with cricket.
Not just watching it casually, but genuinely caring about it. Planning days around matches, feeling wins deeply, and carrying losses longer than I probably should. For many of us in South Asia, cricket isn’t just a sport—it’s part of who we are.

That’s why the current situation between Bangladesh and India, especially with the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup approaching, feels so frustrating and disheartening.

Instead of talking about squads, form, and matchups, we’re once again talking about politics. Hearing that Bangladesh was rejected from playing outside of India due to political tensions didn’t surprise me—but it did disappoint me. Deeply.

Because once politics enters cricket, fairness is usually the first thing to take a hit.

Cricket has always been one of the few spaces where countries with complicated histories could still meet on neutral ground. Rivalries were intense, emotional, and meaningful—but they stayed on the field. Bangladesh vs India has always been a fiery rivalry, and that passion is good for the game. What isn’t good is when influence and power start outweighing equality.

That’s where the imbalance becomes hard to ignore.

The International Cricket Council exists to protect the integrity of cricket and ensure that all teams are treated fairly. But when one board appears to hold more influence than others, neutrality starts to feel questionable. And once fans begin questioning neutrality, trust disappears quickly.

As a Bangladeshi fan, that lack of trust doesn’t stay off the field.

If Bangladesh plays in this tournament, I can’t shake the feeling that we’ll already be at a disadvantage. Not just in conditions or opposition—but in decisions. Tight LBW calls. Marginal wides. Fifty-fifty moments that somehow don’t go our way. I hate thinking like this, but it’s hard not to when history and context shape expectations.

It’s not about accusing umpires or officials outright. It’s about perception. And perception matters. Smaller cricketing nations rarely get the same margin for error as the bigger, more powerful ones. That reality has been felt before, and it lingers.

What made this situation even more upsetting was seeing individual players suffer because of politics.

The reported removal of Mustafizur Rahman from the Indian Premier League due to tensions between the two countries crossed a line for me. This is a player who earned his place through performance and hard work. He didn’t make political decisions. Yet he’s the one paying the price.

That shouldn’t happen in sport.

Cricketers are not politicians. They don’t control diplomacy or international relations. They train, compete, and represent their country with pride. When their careers become collateral damage, it sends a dangerous message—that talent alone isn’t enough, and politics can override merit.

And once that message spreads, the game suffers.

This isn’t about being anti-India. Indian cricket has contributed immensely to the global game, producing legendary players and unforgettable moments. Fans aren’t the problem. Players aren’t the problem. The real issue is allowing politics and power to quietly dictate fairness in a sport that claims to be global.

Cricket becomes smaller when doors close instead of opening.
It becomes weaker when fairness feels selective.
And it loses credibility when fans walk into tournaments already expecting injustice.

I’m not asking for special treatment for Bangladesh.
I’m asking for equal treatment.

Let matches be decided by skill and performance.
Let players compete without politics following them onto the field.
Let cricket remain the one place where the game truly comes first.

Because the moment we accept politics shaping outcomes—even subtly—is the moment cricket stops being the game we all fell in love with.

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