57 years apart: Basil D’Oliveira vs apartheid in 1968 led to South Africa’s cricket isolation. In 2026, Mustafizur Rahman’s IPL release sparked Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup exclusion & regional turmoil proving politics still plagues cricket.
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Mustafizur Rahman & Basil D’ Oliveira: 57 Years Apart, ICC & cricketing world undergoes same crisis; Revisting 1990s Famous Saga
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1968: Apartheid blocks D’Oliveira – global isolation
2026: Political standoffs impact Mustafizur – World Cup reshaped
Different reasons. Same outcome: players caught in power struggles they don’t control.
The fallout snowballs.
Pakistan announces a boycott of the India fixture, citing political grounds, plunging the marquee tournament into unprecedented turmoil.
With uncertainty threatening tournament stability, the ICC removes Bangladesh from the T20 World Cup 2026, replacing them with Scotland a decision that shocks the cricketing world.
Mustafizur’s release from his IPL franchise becomes more than a routine squad decision.
Soon after, Bangladesh reportedly signals reluctance to tour India, citing wider concerns, escalating the issue beyond franchise cricket.
In modern cricket, Mustafizur Rahman, Bangladesh’s premier left-arm pacer, becomes the unlikely focal point of another geopolitical storm ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026.
South Africa’s apartheid government refused to host a “non-white” player.
The tour was cancelled, leading to South Africa’s sporting isolation for over two decades, until apartheid ended in the early 1990s.
In 1968, D’Oliveira scored a match-winning 158 against Australia at The Oval.
Public pressure forced selectors to include him in England’s tour of South Africa a decision that ignited political outrage.
Denied a future at home, D’Oliveira moved to England in 1960.
He rebuilt his career with Worcestershire, eventually becoming a mainstay of the England team proof that talent could not be suppressed forever.
Born in 1931 in Cape Town, Basil D’Oliveira grew up under South Africa’s apartheid regime.
Despite elite ability as a batting all-rounder, his racial classification meant he was barred from first-class and Test cricket in his own country.
In both cases, the issue was not performance or form. Instead, external forces political pressure, governance decisions, and diplomatic tension reshaped international cricket, starting with one player.
Mustafizur Rahman and Basil D’Oliveira are separated by 57 years , yet both found themselves at the centre of controversies where cricket, politics, and power collided, triggering consequences far beyond the field.
Authored By: Varul ChaturvediPublish Later: NoPublish At: Wednesday, February 4, 2026 – 17:09Mobile Title: Mustafizur Rahman & D'Oliveira: 57 Years Apart, ICC & Cricket World in CrisisCreated By: Varul ChaturvediUpdated By: Varul ChaturvediPublished By: Varul ChaturvediRequest Count: 1
