Shashi Tharoor terms cricket standoff ‘a wake-up call for all concerned’

Indian National Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has criticised the politicisation of cricket, calling Pakistan’s boycott of their T20 World Cup 2026 match against India “disgraceful” and urging all parties to “contact each other on an emergency basis” to resolve the issue.

Tharoor also condemned the BCCI’s decision to expel Bangladeshi fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from the Indian Premier League in January.

“It is pretty disgraceful that sport has been politicised in this way on both sides,” he said. “I don’t think that Mustafizur should have been denied his contract to play in Kolkata. It was most unfortunate. [An] intrusion of politics. I think the Bangladeshi reaction was an overreaction, but it is also a reflection of the same, and Pakistan is trying to show its solidarity with Bangladesh.”

The MP, who is also a noted author, said the situation was “spiralling out of control” and stressed that cricket should unite people rather than become a political battlefield. He called on the ICC to intervene, describing the current standoff as “a wake-up call for all concerned.”

Pakistan’s decision, announced six days before the tournament, means the archrivals will not face each other on February 15 in Colombo, a fixture widely regarded as a major revenue generator and a global sporting spectacle.

Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif warned that Pakistan could face sanctions from the ICC but noted that teams have boycotted matches in previous World Cups. “Where was ICC when Australia and West Indies forfeited their matches in 1996; England refusing to travel to Harare and New Zealand to Nairobi in 2003,” he said.

The ICC has criticised Pakistan’s “selective participation” and urged the PCB to consider the “significant and long-term implications” of its decision. BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla voiced support for the ICC’s statement, adding that the Indian board will consult with the ICC before commenting further.