“There should be no politics in sports,” Sharif said, referring to the recent cricket crisis between India and Bangladesh.
Published February 5, 2026
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed the decision to boycott the ICC Men’s Twenty20 World Cup match between Pakistan and India, saying the move was an expression of solidarity with Bangladesh.
“We took this position after careful consideration and (decided) that we must stand by Bangladesh and support them on this issue,” Sharif told ministers on Wednesday.
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Pakistan’s government announced on Sunday that the men’s cricket team would not play in the match against arch-rivals India on February 15, but did not give a reason for the decision at the time.
However, it was widely believed that this was an expression of protest against the expulsion of Bangladesh from the tournament after refusing to travel to India for the T20 World Cup matches.
Sharif’s statement, made in a televised address, rubber-stamped the motive and confirmed the boycott.
“We have taken a clear position that we will not participate in the match against India,” Sharif told government officials. “Pakistan believes this is sports, not politics, and there should be no politics in sports.”
Sharif did not elaborate on his statement, but pointed to the ongoing cricket crisis surrounding the tournament, which began after Bangladeshi players were banned from the Indian Premier League on orders from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) last month.
As confirmed by BCCI chief Devajit Saikia, Mustafizur Rahman’s sacking was linked to political tensions between Bangladesh and India, leading to a series of events including a boycott by Pakistan.
India and Pakistan were placed in the same group and were scheduled to meet in the decisive match in Sri Lanka, which is co-hosting the tournament along with India.
Following Pakistan’s announcement, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said in a statement that “selective participation undermines the spirit and sanctity of the tournament.”
“While the ICC respects the government’s role in national policy, this decision was not made in the interests of the global game or the welfare of fans around the world, including millions of people in Pakistan,” it said, adding that it was awaiting formal communication from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
“The ICC would like the PCB to consider the significant and long-term impact on cricket in its home country, as this is likely to have an impact on the global cricket ecosystem of which the PCB is itself a member and beneficiary.”
The boycott by Pakistan could see them stripped of two points, but it remains unclear whether the PCB will face further sanctions or bans.
The T20 World Cup begins on Saturday.
