Saqlain Mushtaq slams India-Pakistan politics; calls for ‘peace’ amid T20 World Cup drama

Saqlain Mushtaq with Tendulkar with Mohsin Naqvi in the right [Source: X]Pakistan legend, Saqlain Mushtaq, advised against the strained geopolitical tension between Pakistan and India in cricket. Mushtaq believes that the division between the two countries regarding cricket, as well as politics, is actually detrimental to cricket. Contrary to the belief that cricket unites nations, Pakistan and India are at complete loggerheads. For the unaware, India and Pakistan have not participated in a bilateral series since 2013. Strained history of India and PakistanIn the latest five-plus team tournament in Asia Cup 2025, the Men in Blue saw the tussle with Men in Green when there was a refusal of the post-match handshake ceremony by India captain Suryakumar Yadav. For context, the strain has further been stretched because of the relationship between political stress between India and Pakistan, where the Pahalgam terror attack sent chills across the border and led India to take the decision of boycotting Pakistan. Saqlain Mushtaq vouches for peace between the two countries In an exclusive interview with ANI, Saqlain Mushtaq stressed his belief that politics should be eradicated and it is the enemy. It is a loss for sport and cricket should tie instead of separate two nations. "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," Mushtaq said.Following Pakistan's terrorist attacks on tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian government made a policy of playing matches on a neutral venue or in India, but not in Pakistan. Saqlain Mushtaq, who during his career had a healthy relationship with Indian players, often anecdoted by other players too, emphasised that cricket should be about entertainment and not about politics. Adding to the diplomatic tension, Saqlain Mushtaq shared that he will choose not to comment on Bangladesh's T20 World Cup 2026 participation. "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 said. Bangladesh-ICC fiasco and Pakistan’s boycott stance For the unaware, Bangladesh’s participation in the T20 World Cup 2026 was met with a disaster because of the government’s choice not to play on Indian soil after Mustafizur Rahman’s KKR and IPL 2026 ouster and a heavy anti-Muslim and anti-Islam wave on Indian social media. Although those security concerns were nullified, and Bangladesh decided to step aside from the tournament. Following Bangladesh, the Pakistan government have also shown interest in moving away from the tournament and boycotting India completely, though they do not have any reason to do so. Saqlain Mushtaq's comments come in the light of such a moment when Pakistan is deciding to step away purely on the basis of political relations, as a gesture to stand beside the Bangladesh cricket team.