ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday backed his government’s decision to ban the national men’s cricket team from playing against India in the upcoming T20 World Cup, reiterating its support for Bangladesh.
Last week, the Pakistani government announced on social media site X that it had allowed the national team to travel to Sri Lanka for the World Cup. However, it said the Green Shirts will not take the field against India in the match scheduled for February 15.
Pakistan’s participation in the tournament was questioned after Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi criticized the International Cricket Council (ICC) for replacing Bangladesh with Scotland. The decision came after Bangladesh said it would not allow its team to travel to India due to security reasons.
During the federal cabinet meeting, Sharif stressed that Pakistan had said that politics should be kept away from sports.
“We have taken this position after careful consideration and we must fully support Bangladesh in this regard,” Sharif said in a televised speech.
“And I think it’s a very smart decision.”
Pakistan accused India of influencing the ICC decisions. Cricket’s global governing body is currently headed by Jay Shah, head of the Board of Control for Cricket in India. Shah is the son of Indian Home Minister Amit Shah.
Pakistan’s boycott announcement sparked a media frenzy across the world, with several Indian cricket pundits and analysts criticizing Islamabad for the decision. The India vs Pakistan cricket competition is by far the most lucrative and anticipated match among all ICC tournaments.
The ICC has ensured that the two rivals and Asian cricket giants will always be in the same group at any ICC event since 2012 to capitalize on the high-stakes game.
Both the teams have been playing each other at neutral venues for the past few years as bilateral cricket between them has been suspended since 2013 due to political tensions.
Those tensions have simmered since May 2025. The two nuclear-armed countries have been locked in bitter fighting since 1999 after India blamed Pakistan for an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed tourists.
Pakistan has rejected allegations of Indian involvement in the attack, calling for a credible investigation into the incident.