Indian National Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor believes such politicisation of cricket must come to an end.
A few days earlier, Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman was dropped from the Indian Premier League (IPL). Despite fetching a high price at the auction, the BCCI excluded him citing security concerns. In response, Bangladesh announced they were unwilling to travel to India to play in the T20 World Cup.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) expressed interest in Sri Lanka as an alternative venue. However, after prolonged controversy, the ICC eventually excluded Bangladesh from the World Cup, replacing them with Scotland.
Soon after, Pakistan announced their stance: they will participate in the World Cup but will not play against India. Tharoor believes India bears greater responsibility for the situation.
“Frankly, dragging politics into sport from both sides like this is deeply regrettable,” Tharoor said. “I do not think Mustafizur should have been removed from his contract to play for Kolkata. It is truly unfortunate.”
“There has been political interference here, and I feel Bangladesh’s reaction was somewhat exaggerated. But at the same time, it also reflects reality. Pakistan has tried to show solidarity with Bangladesh. The whole issue is spiralling out of control,” he added.
The senior politician called for an urgent resolution, stressing that cricket itself can be the medium for healing.
“I genuinely believe we need to reach an understanding that sport, especially a game like cricket, which means so much to so many people, should be a force that brings us together as players, not something that creates problems,” Tharoor said.
“I truly think this is a wake-up call for everyone involved. There should be immediate dialogue. The ICC can be the platform, just say, let’s end these failures. You cannot go on like this forever.”
