Former England captain Nasser Hussain has raised questions over consistency in world cricket, taking aim at the International Cricket Council’s handling of Bangladesh’s exit from the T20 World Cup and asking whether the same standards would apply to India in a similar situation.

The ICC replaced Bangladesh with Scotland after Dhaka refused to play its matches in India, citing security concerns.

The decision has triggered debate over whether rules are applied equally across teams, especially when political and commercial power enter the picture. Hussain, speaking on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast, posed a direct question to the governing body.

"If India, a month before a tournament, said 'our government does not want us to play in a country for a World Cup', would the ICC have been so firm and said, 'You know the rules, bad luck, we're knocking you out?'" he asked.

The former England skipper said the issue was not about favouring one team over another, but about equal treatment.

"The only question all sides ask for is consistency. Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India must be treated the same. Yes, India fans may say, 'Cry more, we have the money!' But with power comes responsibility," he said.

Bangladesh’s decision not to travel to India came after pacer Mustafizur Rahman was ousted from the IPL on the BCCI’s instructions.

While the Indian board did not specify the reasons, the move came amid reports of increased attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh. The fallout has extended beyond Bangladesh.

Following their ouster, Pakistan announced it would boycott its high-profile T20 World Cup match against India on February 15 in Colombo. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the decision was meant as a show of solidarity with Bangladesh.

The ICC has since warned Pakistan that it could face serious consequences for the boycott. Hussain cautioned that continued political influence could harm the game itself.

Hussain warned that the sport was "risking shooting itself in the foot" if politics continued to dominate decisions in world cricket. He also praised teams for standing by their players and principles despite pressure.

"I'm amazed at how well Pakistan have done and continue to do with everything that they are working against. And I actually quite like Bangladesh sticking to their guns, standing up for their players," Hussain said. "I quite like Pakistan sticking up for Bangladesh as well. At some stage, someone should say, enough with this politics, can we just get back to playing cricket."