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Saqlain Mushtaq Slams Politics, Says It Harms Cricket and India-Pakistan Ties

Pakistani cricket legend Saqlain Mushtaq has strongly criticized the mixing of politics with sports, stating it is detrimental to humanity and cricket. He lamented the frozen bilateral cricket relations between India and Pakistan, which have not played a full series since 2012-13. Mushtaq emphasized that cricket is meant for entertainment and to unite nations, not act as a battlefield. His comments come amid broader tensions, including Bangladesh's recent refusal to play in India leading to their replacement in the T20 World Cup.

Key Points: Saqlain Mushtaq: Politics Hurts Cricket, India-Pakistan Relations

  • Politics called enemy of humanity and cricket
  • India-Pakistan bilateral cricket frozen since 2012
  • Cricket should unite, not divide nations
  • Matches now played on "third soil" due to tensions
  • Bangladesh replaced by Scotland in T20 World Cup
2 min read

"Politics should be eradicated": Saqlain Mushtaq speaks on strained relations between India-Pakistan

Pakistan legend Saqlain Mushtaq calls for eradicating politics from sports, says it harms humanity and cricket ties between India and Pakistan.

"I believe politics should be eradicated as it's detrimental to humanity. - Saqlain Mushtaq"

By Vipul Kashyap, Sharjah, January 27

Pakistan's legendary spinner Saqlain Mushtaq spoke on strained relations between India and Pakistan, slamming politics, saying it's against humanity and detrimental to cricket and believes cricket unites nations, not drives them apart.

India and Pakistan have not played any bilateral series since 2012-13. In December 2012, Pakistan visited India for a 3-match ODI and 2-match T20I series. The T20 was a draw with India and Pakistan winning a match each, while the visitors took the ODI series 2-1.

In an exclusive interview with ANI, Saqlain Mushtaq said, "I believe politics should be eradicated as it's detrimental to humanity. Politics is our enemy, and it's not just harming cricket, but humanity as a whole. It's a loss for the sport and its players. Cricket is meant to unite nations, not drive them apart."

India and Pakistan only play against each other in international tournaments (Asia Cup, World Cup, Champions Trophy). Pakistan last visited India in the 2023 ODI World Cup. However, following Pakistan's terrorist attack on tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir last year, the Indian goverment made a policy of playing matches on "third soil" - either in India or abroad, but not in Pakistan.

Mushtaq also emphasised that cricket should be about entertainment, not politics or conflict. He chose not to comment on Bangladesh's decision not to play the T20 World Cup in India, reiterating his stance against mixing politics with sports.

"Cricket is about entertainment, not a battlefield or war. I prefer not to comment on Bangladesh's decision not to play in India, as I've made it clear and told you already that I don't believe in politics," Mushtaq added.

Mushtaq's comments come amid tensions between Bangladesh and India over the T20 World Cup, with Bangladesh refusing to play in India due to security concerns after Mustafizur Rahman was removed by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) from their IPL 2026 roster in response to a directive from the BCCI regarding atrocities committed against minorities in Bangladesh.

However, after Bangladesh's refusal International Cricket Council (ICC) replaced them with Scotland in the T20 World Cup.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
While I appreciate the sentiment, it's not that simple. How can we separate sports when there are constant security concerns? The Pahalgam attack was horrific. Our government's policy of "third soil" makes sense until there is a genuine change in behavior.
R
Rohit P
The Bangladesh part is interesting. They refuse to play here, we refuse to play there. Everyone is mixing politics with cricket. Saqlain's idea is idealistic, but in the real world, sports and geopolitics are intertwined, especially in our region.
S
Sarah B
As an outsider living here, the passion for cricket is incredible. It's sad to see such a beautiful game affected by tensions. I hope cooler heads prevail for the sake of the sport and the fans.
V
Vikram M
Respect to Saqlain for speaking up. He's a legend. But let's be honest, bilateral series with Pakistan will only resume when cross-border terrorism stops completely. Cricket is entertainment, but national security comes first. Jai Hind.
K
Kavya N
The 2012 series was so much fun! The atmosphere was electric. It's been over a decade. Maybe we can start with a neutral venue like the UAE? Small steps. At least we get to see them in World Cups, those matches are always nail-biters!

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