New Delhi, Feb 5 (IANS) Amid ongoing drama for the upcoming T20 World Cup, Bangladesh Youth and Sports Advisor Asif Nazrul thanked Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who stated that Pakistan’s decision to boycott their match against India was a show of solidarity with Bangladesh in the wake of the country’s removal from the tournament.

In a Facebook post on Thursday, Nazrul acknowledged Sharif’s decision as a protest against Bangladesh’s removal from the multi-nation event. “Thank you, Pakistan,” he wrote in the post.

He also quoted remarks made by Sharif during a meeting of Pakistan’s cabinet in Islamabad on Wednesday, in which he explained the rationale behind the boycott. “Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said his country has decided to boycott the India match in protest of removing Bangladesh from the T20 World Cup. We will not play the match against India, he said to cabinet members on Wednesday. Because there should be no politics on the playground. We took this decision very thoughtfully. We should totally stand by Bangladesh. I think this is a very appropriate decision,” he added.

Earlier, the Pakistan government announced that its national cricket team would not play the T20 World Cup group-stage match against India at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium on February 15.

In response, the ICC issued a strong statement on Sunday, urging the PCB to seek a mutually acceptable resolution and warning that selective participation undermines the principles of global competition.

“While the ICC awaits official communication from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), this position of selective participation is difficult to reconcile with the fundamental premise of a global sporting event where all qualified teams are expected to compete on equal terms as per the event schedule,” the ICC said.

“The ICC hopes that the PCB will consider the significant and long-term implications for cricket in its own country, as this is likely to impact the global cricket ecosystem, of which it is itself a member and beneficiary,” it added.

Bangladesh was replaced by Scotland in the T20 World Cup after its government declined to allow the team to travel to India, citing security concerns. Bangladesh had requested that its matches be shifted to Sri Lanka, but the proposal was rejected by the ICC.

–IANS

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