3 times cricket suffered due to political unrest in a country ft. Bangladesh
As enthralling and unpredictable as the on-field action in cricket often is, external factors have sadly played their role in the sport being made to suffer. Among several such factors, none has been more detrimental than political unrest in a nation causing enough turmoil to spoil a game of cricket from happening.
Several times relationships between boards of different countries have been adversely affected by political factors outside the field of play. While the India-Pakistan bilateral meetings have borne the worst consequences of political unrest, other series and tournaments involving other countries have faced similar situations.
Yet, with players' safety and security being paramount for obvious reasons, matches and tournaments have suffered from postponements, abandonments, and changes of locales.
On that note, let us look at three times when cricket unfortunately suffered due to political unrest in a country.
#1 Bangladesh
Bangladesh is the latest cricketing nation hit by political unrest over the past few weeks.
An anti-government campaign has led to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigning from her post, with Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman taking charge and aiming to form an interim government. Among the sufferers was former Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza, a member of Hasina's Awami League party, whose residence in Narail was destroyed by protestors.
Such turmoil has left the International Cricket Council (ICC) no choice but to look for an alternate venue for the upcoming Women's T20 World Cup in October.
An ICC statement read:
"The ICC is closely monitoring developments in co-ordination with the Bangladesh Cricket Board [BCB], their security agencies and our own independent security consultants. Our priority is the safety and well-being of all participants."
The tournament, to be played from October 3 to 20, could be shifted to India, Sri Lanka, or UAE as per the latest ESPNCricinfo reports.
On the men's side, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has postponed the departure of the A team for the series in Pakistan with the Dhaka airport likely to be closed for the next 48 to 72 hours.
#2 India
Who can ever forget the Mumbai attacks on November 26, 2008, also referred to as the 26/11 attacks? A series of terrorist attacks by a militant organization took place over four days from November 26 to 29 at different spots in Mumbai.
And exactly on November 26 as the attacks transpired, England and India were playing the fifth ODI of a seven-match series in Cuttack. However, following the news, the English team flew back home with the final two ODIs scheduled in Guwahati and Delhi called off.
Following the ODIs were the two Tests slated to be played in Ahmedabad and Mumbai, which looked unlikely at the moment of the attacks.
Yet, upon request from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) decided to send the side for the two-Test series with the venues changed to Chennai and Mohali.
The two Tests were played at the revised venues from December 11 to 26, with the hosts winning the series 1-0.
The 2008 Mumbai attacks had other consequences also, as India canceled their tour of Pakistan that was scheduled for January 2009, citing security concerns.
#3 Pakistan
Among the most recent series affected by political reasons was New Zealand's last-minute pullout on their tour of Pakistan in 2021.
The Blackcaps were scheduled to play three ODIs and five T20Is from September 17 to October 3 in their first tour of Pakistan in 18 years. However, minutes before the first ODI at Rawalpindi, New Zealand abandoned the tour, citing security reasons.
Just before the start of play, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) issued a statement, saying:
"Following an escalation in the New Zealand Government threat levels for Pakistan, and advice from NZC security advisors on the ground, it has been decided the Blackcaps will not continue with the tour."
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) stated that the tour had been canceled unilaterally by NZC despite foolproof security arrangements.
"PCB is willing to continue the scheduled matches. However, cricket lovers in Pakistan and around the world will be disappointed by this last minute withdrawal," read PCB's statement.
It was widely reported that fears of the Taliban’s victory in Afghanistan emboldening terrorist groups in Pakistan played a key role in New Zealand's pullout.