pakistan decision boycott Their match against India in the T20 World Cup was branded a political move, with cricketers and politicians from both countries and around the world urging the International Cricket Council (ICC) to resolve the dispute.

Pakistan’s men’s cricket team will participate in the global tournament but will not play against arch-rival India on February 15, the Pakistani government said in a statement on Sunday.

The ICC responded quickly, criticizing Pakistan’s “selective involvement” and asking the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to consider the “significant and long-term implications” of its decision.

The decades-long political rift between the two nuclear-armed nations has been blamed on the frosty sporting ties between the two countries.

Pakistan separated from India in 1947, leading to the bloody carving up of the subcontinent by British colonists. The two countries have fought four wars and had numerous skirmishes over the past 78 years, mostly over disputed Kashmir, which both sides claim in full but also administer parts of.

The two South Asian foes returned from the brink of all-out war in May when they clashed on their shared border before an internationally brokered ceasefire was agreed.

An official from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has backed the International Cricket Federation’s statement asking Pakistan to reconsider the move.

“The ICC made an important statement and they talked about sportsmanship,” BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla told India’s ANI news agency.

“We fully agree with the ICC’s view. The BCCI will not make any comment on this pending dialogue with the ICC.”

However, former cricketers and politicians have called on the ICC to act as a mediator between the cricket boards of the two countries.

“When politics closes, cricket can open doors,” former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi wrote on X.

He urged the ICC to “lead and demonstrate that it is impartial, independent and fair to each of its members through decisions rather than declarations.”

‘Sport has become politicized’

Prominent Indian politician Shashi Tharoor criticized the politicization of cricket and slammed the BCCI’s decision: expel Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from the Indian Premier League in January.

“It’s quite shameful that both sides are politicizing sport in this way,” he told reporters in New Delhi.

“I think Mustafizul should not be deprived of his contract to play in Kolkata. It is most unfortunate. (A) political intrusion. I think Bangladesh’s reaction is an overreaction, but it is also a reflection of the same, Pakistan is trying to show solidarity with Bangladesh.”

Tharoor, a member of India’s main opposition party, said the situation was “out of control”.

He said: “Sport, especially a sport like cricket that means so much to all of us, should be a means of bringing us together at least on the field rather than allowing this to continue.”

The 69-year-old, who is also the author of several books on history and politics, called on the ICC to help repair relations between the two countries.

“This is now a wake-up call for everyone involved to reach out to each other in emergencies. The ICC can be that platform. Just say, ‘Let’s stop this nonsense’. You can’t go on like this forever.”

Pakistan’s decision six days before the start of the World Cup has cast a pall over crucial group matches.

India and Pakistan are scheduled to play in Colombo on February 15 in a match that attracts millions of viewers from around the world and is considered a major revenue-generating event for tournament organizers and sponsors.

Outspoken former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif said Pakistan could face sanctions from the International Criminal Court but the move would be hypocritical as the team had boycotted matches in previous World Cups.

“Where was the ICC when Australia and West Indies abandoned the tournament in 1996; England refused to go to Harare and New Zealand refused to go to Nairobi in 2003,” he said on the X show.

Latif, who played 37 Test matches and 166 One-Day Internationals (ODIs), is concerned that Pakistan could be sanctioned by the International Criminal Court.

“They (Pakistan) don’t seem to care about this,” he said.

“Will Pakistan refuse to play in the final?”

If Pakistan sticks to their word and boycotts the group stage, they will lose two points, which could affect their standing in Group A.

Pakistan and India are likely to meet again at the World Cup in the final on March 8, but it’s unclear how the match will play out due to developments in multiple stages between the group stage and the final.

Former England captain Kevin Pietersen questioned whether Pakistan would also boycott the decider of the match.

“Will Pakistan refuse to play in the World Cup final?” he asked.

Cricketers from across the border condemned Pakistan’s boycott of the match.

“It’s not a question of courage at all, it’s a question of stupidity,” former Test cricketer and coach Madan Lal told Indian media.

“Because Pakistan wants to let India down, they take all these decisions. That’s why they don’t grow. If you keep looking at others, what are you doing for your own growth?”

Indian cricket writer and commentator Harsha Bhogle said the boycott could be a financial hit to Pakistani cricket.

“If Pakistan’s abandonment and uncertainty about the future lead to an inevitable reduction in ICC revenue, the countries least affected will be India, Australia and the United Kingdom, given other strong revenue sources,” he said in a social media post.

“The most affected will be those countries that are entirely dependent on the ICC for revenue; not just smaller countries and associated countries, but also the West Indies, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and…Pakistan!”

Pakistan will start their T20 World Cup journey against Netherlands on the opening day in Colombo on February 7.

The 2009 champions will play all their matches in Sri Lanka, including all Super 8 matches and knockout rounds.

Prior to this, the PCB and BCCI had reached an agreement brokered by the ICC in December 2024, allowing the two teams to play at neutral venues when ICC events are held in neighboring countries.

Pakistan’s remaining matches in Group A are against the United States on February 10 and Namibia on February 18.