I Really Hope The Match Happens: Brett Lee on India-Pakistan T20WC Clash
The Australian speedster said, “Let’s get the politics out of it"
Update: 2026-02-05 07:19 GMT
Former Australian cricketer Brett Lee hopes the India–Pakistan match at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will take place amid the Pakistan government’s decision to boycott the fixture.
Speaking on the Mr. Cricket UAE podcast, the Australian speedster said, “Let’s get the politics out of it.”
“I really hope the match happens. I really hope they get the opportunity, because it is going to be super exciting. The whole world watches when India and Pakistan play one another,” he added.
This comes amid as the Pakistan cricket team has been told by its government to skip the match against India on February 15, after Bangladesh were replaced by Scotland for refusing to play their games in India due to “security concerns.”
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called the decision to boycott the T20 World Cup match against India an “appropriate decision” and added that it was a “considered stance” in support of Bangladesh.
“We have taken a very clear stand on the T20 World Cup — that we won’t play the match against India, because there should be no politics on the sports field,” Sharif said after a government meeting.
“We have taken a very considered stance, and we should completely stand by Bangladesh. I think this is a very appropriate decision. We are with Bangladesh,” he added.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has warned the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) of serious consequences if it fails to play in the World Cup tie against India.
The PCB has already made it clear that it supports the government’s position. Pakistan has already reached Sri Lanka and will play their first game against the Netherlands on Saturday.