Bhajji also alleged that the Pakistan government and the board are taking this decision only to show pride and ignore the wishes of the common cricket lovers of the country. According to him, billions of viewers of both countries look forward to watching the India-Pakistan match.

The Pakistan government said on social media that it has allowed the team to participate in the World Cup, but banned it from playing matches against India. According to media sources, this is a political stance to show ‘solidarity’ with Bangladesh, as Bangladesh was excluded from the World Cup due to its refusal to tour India.

In this context, Harbhajan said, there is no problem in standing by Bangladesh, but it did not think about the feelings of the people of Pakistan. Harbhajan termed the decision as a ‘drama’, designed to divert people’s attention.

Besides, Harbhajan also highlighted PCB’s duplicity. He asked why the same patriotism was not shown in the Asia Cup. He alleged that Pakistan played despite the war situation because they did not want to lose revenue.

Meanwhile, the International Cricket Council has expressed displeasure with this decision. The agency hinted at possible sanctions and called on the Pakistani government to reconsider the decision. ICC has not received any final decision from PCB yet.