Cricket fans in Pakistans major cities on Monday February 2 largely endorsed the federal governments contentious decision to boycott the teams upcoming T20 World Cup match against arch-rival India, framing it as a necessary response to political tensions and perceived slights on the cricket field.
In Lahore, supporter Mohammad Kashif stated the move was justified retaliation, accusing India of poor sportsmanship after past defeats. Our government did absolutely right. They started it first so they said lets boycott them in the cricket field, he said. The governments directive, issued on Sunday February 1, orders the team not to take the field for the February 15 group match in Colombo, risking a forfeit of points.
Other fans in Lahore, like Mohammad Asghar, praised the decision as a check on what they see as Indian arrogance. India is being arrogant, and this arrogance should be broken a little, Asghar said. Fellow Lahori Ayaz Ahmed cited Indias conduct during last years Asia Cup, including refusing to accept the trophy from a Pakistani official, as reason for the stance. They should know that someone can also take a stand against them, Ahmed said.
