'Thank You, Pakistan': Bangladesh Signals United Stand Against India in T20 World Cup Row

New Delhi: Now there is talk of more politics than cricket in the T20 World Cup 2026. Actually the whole issue started when Bangladesh refused to play their matches in India. The reason given was "security concerns." The ICC rejected their request and replaced them with Scotland in the tournament. That's when the controversy erupted.

How did the matter start?

Pakistan also announced that it will not play the match against India in Colombo on 15 February. The Pakistan government gave clear instructions to the PCB that the team will not participate in this match.

Bangladesh's sports advisor Asif Nazrul directly wrote on social media – "Thank you, Pakistan". He said that Pakistan has taken this step in support of Bangladesh. This does not seem to be just a matter of cricket, but something like political solidarity.

What was the statement of the Prime Minister of Pakistan?

Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif also openly said that there should be no politics in sports, hence the match will not be played against India. He also said that we stand completely with Bangladesh.

All this is also related to the politics of Bangladesh. There, after the removal of Sheikh Hasina's government, the interim government of Muhammad Yunus has come. After the new setup, relations with India have cooled down a bit, while friendship with Pakistan is increasing.

Was the argument of ‘security concerns’ strong?

Now the interesting thing is that questions are being raised on the issue of “security concerns”. Because at the same time a shooter from Bangladesh had got permission to play the Asian Shooting Championship in Delhi. So why not the cricket team? 

The relationship is really getting closer. Direct flights started between Dhaka and Islamabad after 14 years. Business is growing, military cooperation has also intensified – joint naval exercises have taken place, talks about defense deals are going on. 

Is this just a cricket dispute?

It looks like a cricket fight, but in reality it is a game of diplomacy and politics. Cricket has become just an excuse. The real story is about changing regional equations and friendship-enmity. This boycott of the T20 World Cup is more a political stand than a cricket one. The new government of Bangladesh wants to show that now their priorities have changed, and Pakistan is openly supporting it.
Cricket is just a stage, the real competition is of politics.