Asif Nazrul thanks Pakistan's PM Shehbaz Sharif

Pakistan has decided not to play against India following Bangladesh's exclusion from the T20 World Cup. The country's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed the matter. Welcoming this decision, Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul expressed his gratitude to Pakistan on social media platform Facebook.

On Wednesday at a cabinet meeting, Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan will not play against India in the T20 World Cup. According to him, politics should not be mixed with sports, and standing by Bangladesh in the current situation is Pakistan's moral responsibility. He stated that this decision has been taken as a protest against the cancellation of Bangladesh's participation.

Shehbaz Sharif further said that India's cricket-related policies are not acceptable to Pakistan. Describing the exclusion of Bangladesh from the tournament as unjust, he stated that Pakistan fully stands with Bangladesh.

Pakistan claims they have taken this stance in response to the International Cricket Council's (ICC) decision. Earlier, citing security concerns, the Bangladesh government refused to send the national team to India and proposed hosting matches in Sri Lanka as a neutral venue. However, the proposal was rejected at the ICC board meeting due to lack of support. Later, Scotland was included in the tournament in place of Bangladesh. Pakistan had taken a position in favor of Bangladesh at that meeting.

Following Pakistan's decision, on Thursday, Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul wrote in a brief response on Facebook: "Thank you, Pakistan."