While the PCB is yet to send a written communication to the ICC, the boycott is seen as an act of solidarity with Bangladesh following their expulsion. (AP photo) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Tuesday that Pakistan’s decision to pull out of a high-profile T20 World Cup match against India was the result of a problematic intersection of sports and politics.Abdullah, a cricket enthusiast, pointed out that mixing sports with political issues often leads to adverse results.
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“Now we have completely stopped distinguishing between sports and politics. Again and again, whenever there is a match between India and Pakistan in the media, it is presented as a war. You will never cover it as a normal match,” the chief minister told reporters from the lawns here.Abdullah claimed that India’s matches against Pakistan are always disproportionate and said that this was one of the reasons why such controversies arise.“When we play against other countries, it doesn’t get that much attention, but when it’s against Pakistan, it’s out of proportion. That’s when such situations happen. It shouldn’t happen. Yes, they are participating in this World Cup, but they won’t be playing against us,” the chief minister said.The International Cricket Council (ICC) has warned Pakistan of dire consequences for its selective withdrawal from the high-profile T20 World Cup match against India in Colombo on February 15.Pakistan’s decision, conveyed through an official government statement, is seen as a political protest linked to Bangladesh’s exclusion from the tournament after the world body rejected its request to move the matches from India to Sri Lanka on security grounds.
