Former Australia fast bowler Brett Lee said he wants to see India and Pakistan meet in a high profile clash at the Twenty20 World Cup on February 15. But Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has defended his government’s decision to boycott the match in Colombo.
Pakistan allowed the team to travel to Sri Lanka for the World Cup on Sunday. At the same time, the government confirmed it would skip the group stage match against India. The call removed the biggest attraction from the 20 team tournament.
Lee said cricket should stay free from political issues. “Let’s get the politics out of it,” Lee said on the Mr. Cricket UAE podcast.
“I really hope the match happens. I really hope they get the opportunity, because it is going to be super exciting. The whole world watches when India and Pakistan play one another.”
Political tension has followed the tournament build up. Bangladesh were taken out of the competition after refusing to play matches in India. They raised safety concerns linked to strained regional ties. Scotland replaced Bangladesh in the event.
The International Cricket Council rejected those concerns after reviewing an independent security report. The ICC also turned down requests from Bangladesh, supported by Pakistan, to shift matches to Sri Lanka. It said the schedule could not be changed at such a late stage.
Sharif later explained the boycott by saying Pakistan wanted to show full support for Bangladesh. He said the decision was taken after careful thought and stressed that politics should not mix with sport. He also said standing by Bangladesh was the right and responsible step.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has not said what it would do if Pakistan face India in the knockout stage of the tournament, which begins on Saturday.
