"Thank you, Pakistan": Bangladesh reacts to Islamabad's decision to boycott India match

Bangladesh’s Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul has expressed gratitude to Pakistan for supporting Bangladesh in the wake of Islamabad’s decision to boycott its T20 World Cup match against India on February 15.

Nazrul shared his response in a post on his official Facebook account. “Thank you, Pakistan,” Nazrul wrote, before referring to Sharif’s statement explaining the boycott.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said sports should be kept separate from political disputes, as he commented on Pakistan’s decision not to play against India in the T20 World Cup.

Speaking during a federal cabinet meeting in Islamabad, which was broadcast live, the prime minister said the government had already made its position clear on the issue.

“There should be no politics in sports,” Shehbaz said while addressing the cabinet.

Referring specifically to the upcoming T20 World Cup fixture, he added: “We have taken a clear stand regarding the T20 World Cup that we will not play the match against India.”