Media365
Former India cricketer Atul Wassan has weighed in on the growing controversy surrounding Kolkata Knight Riders and the release of Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman, saying the criticism directed at co-owner Shah Rukh Khan is misplaced and removing one player achieves little.The issue escalated after the Board of Control for Cricket in India instructed KKR to release Mustafizur Rahman from their squad. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed the decision, stating that the board had asked the Kolkata-based franchise to let go of the Bangladesh left-arm pacer following political and public backlash linked to developments in Bangladesh.
KKR later confirmed the release through an official media statement.Reacting to the situation, Wassan said the controversy was an inevitable consequence of the unrest in Bangladesh but stressed that targeting Shah Rukh Khan was unfair. “Whatever has happened has cascading effects, and these things were bound to happen in the backdrop of Bangladesh unrest. But blaming Shah Rukh Khan is unfair, as he is not the only owner of KKR and KKR were not the only team bidding for the player. Removing a player will not make any difference,” he told ANI.Wassan further questioned the logic behind the move, adding, “And just by removing one player, our revenge doesn’t get fulfilled. And I think we should mature a little and think about it.”He also addressed the broader debate around politics and sport, saying the two cannot be completely separated. “People say politics and sports are different, but they’re not. And we should not compare the situation of India and Pakistan with India and Bangladesh,” Wassan said, urging patience given the transition underway in Bangladesh.
