Shashi Tharoor Fed Up With Cricket Being Politicized After Pakistan’s Decision to Boycott India’s Game at T20 World Cup

Shashi Tharoor recently attended India's T20I encounter against New Zealand from the stands of the Greenfield Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram.

Shashi Tharoor Fed Up With Cricket Being Politicized After Pakistan’s Decision to Boycott India’s Game at T20 World Cup

Shashi Tharoor urged India and Pakistan to stop politicizing cricket (Image via India Today)

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Indian politician Shashi Tharoor criticized the increasing politicization of cricket following Pakistan’s decision to boycott its 2026 T20 World Cup game against India. He called the situation ‘disgraceful’ and warned that such political interference would harm the game’s reputation.

A senior Member of Parliament from Kerala, Shashi Tharoor, has been a childhood cricket enthusiast. Not only is he extensively versed in the intricacies of the game, but he also co-authored a book that delved deep into the complex relationship between diplomacy and sports. Tharoor’s cricketing interest pushed him into a major controversy in 2010, when he was under the spotlight for being associated with IPL franchise Kochi Tuskers Kerala. 

Still a true lover of the game, the 69-year-old recently spoke out about issues related to the politicization of cricket, specifically the uncertainty surrounding the India-Pakistan fixture at the upcoming 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. The match, scheduled to be played in Colombo on February 15, appears headed for a forfeit, with Pakistan having announced that they would not take the field against the Men in Blue.

Pakistan’s confirmation to participate in the tournament, while selectively refusing to play against India, has raised eyebrows. The PCB, under Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the Interior Minister of Pakistan, appears to have prioritized political considerations with India over fairness in the game. Tharoor weighed in on the issue, stating that the ‘unfortunate’ mix of politics and sports in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh is ‘disgraceful’ and that the situation seems to have turned unmanageable. 

It is pretty disgraceful that sport has been politicized in this way on both sides, frankly…this whole thing is spiraling out of control.

Shashi Tharoor spoke to The Economic Times (H/T: Crictracker)

Stressing the role of cricket as a unifying force that transcends borders, Tharoor also talked about the issue of Bangladesh’s withdrawal from the T20 World Cup, labeling it as an ‘overreaction’. However, he did not hold back from criticizing the Indian position on not allowing Mustafizur Rahman to play in the IPL. Nonetheless, Tharoor urged the ICC to put an end to this form of politicization of the sport. 

A sport like cricket which means so much to all the people, should be a means of bringing us together at least on the playing field.. I honestly think this is now a wake up call for all concerned, the ICC could be the platform for it – just say, let’s call off this nonsense.

This political friction over cricket, mainly between India and Pakistan, was also evident during the 2025 Men’s Asia Cup, when the two teams refused to shake hands with each other. The trend continued even in games involving the U-19 teams of the two countries.

T20 World Cup warm-up matches start: India ‘A’ beats USA, Afghanistan defeats Scotland

With the much-awaited 2026 T20 World Cup set to begin on February 7, the warm-up games will give teams a chance to familiarize themselves with the playing conditions. USA kick-started its campaign with a defeat to India ‘A’, while Afghanistan beat Scotland. 

Afghanistan and India 'A' warm-up wins
Afghanistan and India A won warm-up matches against Scotland and the USA, respectively. (via NDTV Sports)

USA has been placed in Group A, alongside defending champions India, Pakistan, Namibia and the Netherlands. Preparing ahead of the tournament at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, they faced off against an India ‘A’ side, led by Ayush Badoni. USA fell short in bowling, as the home side cruised to 238/3. Narayan Jagadeesan hit an impressive 104 runs off just 55 balls, while Badoni hit 60 off 26. 

USA however, will be pleased with their batting display, as they only lost the chase by 38 runs. They were bowled out for 200 runs, with Andries Gous top-scoring with 44 off 41 balls, while Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Shubham Ranjane, and Harmeet Singh provided crucial contributions. Meanwhile, Afghanistan defeated Scotland by 61 runs in Bengaluru, with Darwish Rasooli being named POTM for his 84 runs off 46 balls. 

Rasooli was helped by Ibrahim Zadran (36 off 32) and Mohammad Nabi (34 off 16), as Afghanistan raced to 184/6. Scotland, in response, could only score 123 runs, with all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai picking up a three-wicket haul for the bowling side. 

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