Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has officially confirmed that their national cricket team will not take the field against India in the upcoming T20 World Cup, stating the decision was made to stand in solidarity with Bangladesh.

Addressing cabinet members in Islamabad on Wednesday, Sharif declared that “politics should not exist on the sports field.”

This is the first time the government has publicly articulated the specific reason behind the boycott, which was announced via social media last week.

“We have taken a very clear position on the T20 World Cup—we will not play the match against India,” Sharif told his cabinet. “We took this decision after much thought. We should fully stand by Bangladesh. I think this is a very appropriate decision.”

The diplomatic sporting row stems from the International Cricket Council's (ICC) decision to replace Bangladesh with Scotland in the tournament.

The Bangladesh government had refused to send their team to India citing security concerns, following threats from communal groups that led to pacer Mustafizur Rahman being dropped from the IPL on January 3.

While the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) requested a venue change to Sri Lanka, the ICC rejected the plea, labeling the threat against Mustafizur as “isolated.” Bangladesh’s Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul later said that neither the ICC nor the Indian government provided necessary security assurances.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has supported Bangladesh throughout the process, criticizing the ICC for “double standards” regarding security protocols.

The T20 World Cup, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, begins on February 7. The India-Pakistan clash was scheduled for February 15 in Colombo.

The ICC has previously warned the PCB to “reconsider” the boycott, citing potential long-term implications for Pakistan cricket.