Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has officially announced the reason for boycotting the group stage match against India in the upcoming T20 World Cup. Pakistan has taken this strong stance in protest against Bangladesh's exclusion from the World Cup for refusing to tour India, mainly due to security reasons.

In a crucial cabinet meeting on Wednesday (February 4), Shehbaz Sharif made it clear that the decision to give Scotland a chance while excluding Bangladesh was unfair and that they had decided not to play India in protest. Pakistan's announcement has thrown the tournament's biggest attraction into doubt.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a cabinet meeting, "Our position on the T20 World Cup is very clear and we will not play against India. He cited the reason as being that there should be no politics on the playing field."

According to the pre-scheduled schedule, arch-rivals India and Pakistan were scheduled to face each other in Colombo, Sri Lanka on February 15. However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has already informed the International Cricket Council (ICC) that they will not participate in the match.

The ICC, the highest governing body of cricket, has issued a stern warning to Pakistan over the incident. The organization has said that if Pakistan does not take the field against India in the end, disciplinary action will be taken against them and they may face a major ban later.

It is worth noting that the ICC removed Bangladesh from the main tournament and included Scotland for refusing to tour India. Since then, Pakistan has been expressing solidarity with Bangladesh's decision. Pakistan's unprecedented decision to boycott has created new tension in world cricket.

While broadcasters are facing huge financial losses, cricket fans are disappointed as political animosity spills over into the playing field. It remains to be seen whether Pakistan will stick to their stance despite the ICC's threat of punishment.