Pakistani fans back government’s boycott of T20 clash against India

Cricket fans in Pakistan’s major cities on Monday (February 2) largely endorsed the federal government’s contentious decision to boycott the team’s upcoming T20 World Cup match against arch-rival India, framing it as a necessary response to political tensions and perceived slights on the cricket field.

In Lahore, supporter Mohammad Kashif stated the move was justified retaliation, accusing India of poor sportsmanship after past defeats. “Our government did absolutely right. They started it first… so they said let’s boycott them in the cricket field,” he said. The government’s directive, issued on Sunday (February 1), orders the team not to take the field for the February 15 group match in Colombo, risking a forfeit of points.

Other fans in Lahore, like Mohammad Asghar, praised the decision as a check on what they see as Indian arrogance. “India is being arrogant, and this arrogance should be broken a little,” Asghar said. Fellow Lahori Ayaz Ahmed cited India’s conduct during last year’s Asia Cup, including refusing to accept the trophy from a Pakistani official, as reason for the stance. “They should know that someone can also take a stand against them,” Ahmed said.

In Karachi, while backing the boycott, fan Niaz Ali expressed a desire for cricket to remain apolitical. “I wish… the Indian government had let cricket be, let the game be a game,” he said, but added Pakistan’s decision was correct given alleged political interference in the sport.

The boycott deals a severe blow to the ICC tournament, for which an India-Pakistan match is the biggest draw, and deepens the crisis in bilateral cricket suspended due to fraught political relations. Pakistan’s participation in the rest of the tournament, set to begin on February 7, remains subject to the government’s approval.