• BCCI accused of politicising international cricket
• Some former players worry fans will suffer
• Congress MP Tharoor rues ‘mishandling’ of Mustafizur Rehman issue, says sports should be means of ‘bringing people together’

KARACHI: Pakistan’s decision to boycott its T20 World Cup match against India has drawn widespread support from fans and administrators, who hailed the move as a long-overdue stand in a rivalry in which sport and geopolitics have collided.

The boycott deepened a long freeze in bilateral cricket between the nuclear-armed neighbours – who have not played a full series since 2012-13 and now meet largely at neutral venues – and dealt a blow to the ICC’s marquee event, with India-Pakistan matches the biggest drivers of global viewership and revenue.

For many in Pakistan, however, the boycott was less about cricketing issues, and more about symbolism.

“Enough is enough,” former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Najam Sethi told Reuters, accusing India’s board of politicising the ICC.

“It’s time to challenge this duplicitous approach by exercising PCB’s options in alliance with Bangladesh.”

The government has not publicly detailed its reasoning, but Mosharraf Zaidi, a spokesperson for PM Shehbaz Sharif, linked the move to security tensions with India.

Nothing is more important than the memory of Pakistani citizens and troops murdered by Indian proxy terrorists over the weekend, Mr Zaidi said. “With funerals taking place today, this was the least that could be done.”

The remarks followed coordinated attacks by terrorists across Balochistan province that left nearly 50 people dead over the weekend.

India’s foreign ministry, however, rejected the accusations, calling them “baseless” and accusing Islamabad of deflecting attention from its own internal issues.

The decision also sparked heated debate, on and off social media, with fans divided between calls for “self-respect” and warnings that skipping the match could further isolate Pakistan in global cricket.

“I’ve always believed cricket can open doors when politics closes them. It’s regrettable that Pakistan won’t play India at the #T20WorldCup, but I stand behind my government’s decision,” former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi wrote on X.

“This is the moment for ICC to lead and prove through decisions, not statements, that it is impartial, independent and fair to every member,” he added.

Former cricketer Muhammad Hafeez also took to X to express disappointment at the development.

He stated that the current tensions began with “no handshake by the Indian [side]” — in a reference to the September controversy where the Indian team refused to shake hands with their rivals at the toss and after an Asia Cup match.

“Not [an] ideal situation for fans of cricket. Worried,” Hafeez concluded.

Former Pakistan batsman Muhammad Yousuf was of the opinion that the government had taken a “tough but necessary stand”.

“Principles must come before commercial interests. The ‘selective’ influence in world cricket needs to end for the game to truly be global. We play with pride, but we also stand for equality and justice in sports,” he posted on X.

In another post, Yousuf expressed regret that Pakistan vs India “is one of the greatest sporting events in the world, yet it continues to suffer from political interference that damages the spirit and pride of the game”.

“In such an unfair environment, choosing not to play becomes an act of principle — an eye‑for‑an‑eye response to protect the integrity of the sports,” he asserted.

Similarly, former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif said ICC’s “efficiency” in reacting to Pakistan’s decision “seemed more of a panic”.

“First, not welcoming Pakistan’s selective participation and towards the end, requesting PCB to reconsider preserving cricket’s ecosystem,” he said about the ICC’s statement.

Latif also questioned, “Where was ICC when Australia and West Indies forfeited their matches in 1996, England refused to travel to Harare and New Zealand to Nairobi in 2003?”

He said that Zimbabwe did not participate in the T20 World in 2009 and were still compensated with the participation fee.

“ICC must realise they have been checkmated. Interesting times ahead?” he asked.

Indian Congress MP Shashi Tharoor also weighed in on the issue.

“It is pretty disgraceful that sport has been politicised in this way on both sides… I don’t think that [Bangladeshi cricketer] Mustafizur [Rahman] should have been denied his contract to play in Kolkata. It was most unfortunate. Intrusion of politics, I think the Bangladeshi reaction was an overreaction but it is also a reflection of the same and Pakistan is trying to show its solidarity with Bangladesh,” he told reporters in New Delhi.

“This whole thing is spiralling out of control. I think we need to really need to come to an understanding that sports, especially a sport like cricket, which means so much to all the people, should be a means of bringing us together at least on the playing field, rather than allowing this to go on like this. I honestly think this is now a wake-up call for all concerned to contact each other on an emergency basis, the ICC could be the platform for it – just say, let’s call off this nonsense... You can’t go on like this forever,” he said.

Published in Dawn, February 3rd, 2026