While the Bangladesh cricket team continues to boycott India over security concerns, one Bangladeshi official has stepped onto Indian soil.
Sharfuddoula, the first Bangladeshi umpire to join the ICC Elite Panel, served as the TV umpire during Sunday’s first ODI between India and New Zealand in Vadodara.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has formally notified the ICC that its national team will not participate in the upcoming T20 World Cup in India, citing “growing concerns regarding the safety and security of the Bangladesh contingent.”
The boycott follows diplomatic tensions sparked by Kolkata Knight Riders’ exclusion of pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their squad—a move that prompted the Bangladesh government to ban IPL broadcasts for the first time since 2008.
Despite the fraught political backdrop, Sharfuddoula’s appointment proceeded under standard ICC rules. Clause 2.1.4 mandates the appointment of one neutral umpire for ODIs from either the Elite or International Panel.
As Sharfuddoula is neither Indian nor Kiwi, his role as a neutral official remains fully valid, even as the BCB demands “man-to-man” security guarantees for its players.
