Saqlain Mushtaq, a former spinner for Pakistan, has passionately opposed the increasing impact of politics on international cricket, calling it “against humanity” and harmful to both the sport and world peace. Saqlain Mushtaq bemoaned the long-standing lack of bilateral cricket between India and Pakistan, emphasising that the sport has always been a unifying force rather than a source of hostility.
Since Pakistan visited India for a limited-overs series consisting of three ODIs and two T20Is during the 2012–13 season, India and Pakistan have not played a bilateral series. Pakistan won the ODI series 2-1, however the T20I series finished evenly. Only ICC and continental competitions have pitted the two teams against one another since then.
“I think politics should be abolished because it is bad for humanity. Our enemy is politics. Humanity as a whole is being harmed, not only cricket. Instead of dividing nations, cricket is supposed to bring them together. Both the players and the sport suffer a loss. Asianet News cited Saqlain Mushtaq as saying, “Cricket is meant to bring nations together, not drive them apart.”
Additionally, Saqlain Mushtaq emphasised that cricket should continue to be a game of enjoyment rather than a window into geopolitical unrest. He reiterated his long-standing position against combining politics and sport by declining to comment on Bangladesh’s recent decision to skip the T20 World Cup in India.
“Cricket is neither a war or a battlefield; it is an amusement sport. Regarding Bangladesh’s choice not to play in India, I would rather remain silent.
Saqlain Mushtaq continued, “I’ve already stated that I don’t believe in politics.
At the moment, India and Pakistan only face off in international competitions such as the Champions Trophy, the World Cup, and the Asia Cup. The last time Pakistan visited India was during the ODI World Cup in 2023. However, the Indian government decided to exclusively play matches against Pakistan in neutral locations after a terrorist attack on tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, last year.
However, Saqlain Mushtaq remarks coincide with tense tensions between Bangladesh and India over the forthcoming T20 World Cup. Following Mustafizur Rahman’s expulsion from the Kolkata Knight Riders’ IPL 2026 squad due to a decision connected to the Board of Control for Cricket in India about alleged atrocities against religious minorities in Bangladesh, Bangladesh raised security concerns.
The International sport Council then substituted Scotland for Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup roster, escalating the discussion over the increasing convergence of sport and global politics.
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