NEW DELHI: Shashi Tharoor Calls Pakistan’s Boycott of India T20 World Cup Match a ‘Wake-Up Call’ for Politicization of Cricket
Senior Indian politician and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has criticized the politicization of cricket, describing Pakistan’s decision to boycott the match against India in the T20 World Cup as a wake-up call for all involved parties.
Reacting to Pakistan’s announcement of boycotting the India match in the ICC T20 World Cup, Tharoor said the Bangladesh cricketer Mustafizur Rahman should not have been denied his contract to play in Kolkata.
He called the decision to strip Mustafizur of the agreement “extremely unfortunate” and stated that political interference had only worsened the situation.
Tharoor remarked: “I believe Bangladesh’s reaction was excessive, while Pakistan has done this in a show of solidarity with Bangladesh.”
The Congress leader expressed deep regret over the mixing of sports and politics, saying: “It is unfortunate and shameful that sport has been politicized.
The matter is spiraling out of control. We urgently need to build consensus. Cricket, in particular, holds immense importance for the people.”
He emphasized that the field of sport should serve as a means to bring nations closer together, not to fan controversies.
“This situation is a wake-up call for all stakeholders,” Tharoor added. “All parties must urgently engage with one another and find a resolution.”
It is pertinent to mention that the ICC T20 World Cup is scheduled to begin on 6 February and will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
The much-anticipated Pakistan vs India match was set for 15 February.
However, yesterday, following a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, the government approved Pakistan’s participation in the T20 World Cup but officially announced a boycott of the match against India.
