'We have taken this stand after...': Pakistan PM explains reason behind boycotting T20 WC clash vs India

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed that the team will not be participating in their match against India that was schedules to be held on February 15 in the T20 World Cup. This comes after the Pakistan government had announced on Sunday that while the team will be allowed to participate in the tournament, they will not be taking the field for the match against their arch-rivals.

Earlier, Pakistan had dragged themselves into the issue between the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the International Cricket Council (ICC). Bangladesh eventually decided to exit the tournament after they weren't allowed to play their matches outside India and this led to Pakistan threatening the ICC to pull out from the competition as well. Though they did not exit the T20 World Cup, they decided to boycott their match against India.

Pakistan in support of Bangladesh

Pakistan PM explained that they have taken a stand against ICC as they do not want to see sports get mixed with politics. He also expressed support towards Bangladesh.

“We have taken a clear stand regarding the T20 World Cup that we will not play the match against India. There should be no politics in sports; it is our clear stand. We have taken this stand after careful deliberation. We are with Bangladesh, and I think this is the right and proper decision," Sharif said while addressing the cabinet in Islamabad.

ICC's statement on the issue

On the other hand, ICC has already given a firm response to PCB over their stance on the matter and have warned them about the consequences that the boycott could have on Pakistan cricket as a whole. They also want the cricket board to reconsider their decision

“The ICC hopes that the PCB will consider the significant and long-term implications for cricket in its own country, as this decision is likely to impact the global cricket ecosystem. While the ICC respects the role of governments in matters of national policy, this decision is not in the interest of the global game or the welfare of fans worldwide, including millions in Pakistan," ICC had said in a statement.

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Meanwhile, both India and Pakistan will begin their T20 World Cup campaigns on February 7 with the clashes against USA and Netherlands respectively. The two arch-rivals are placed in Group A and it remains to be seen if they will be able to make it to the Super 8 stage.