Nasser Hussain supports Pakistan, Bangladesh over T20 World boycott; fans call out hypocrisy

Last week, the Pakistan government announced that its cricket team will not take the field against India during the upcoming T20 World Cup. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the decision was in solidarity with Bangladesh, who were replaced by Scotland after refusing to travel to India citing security reasons.

The International Cricket Council (ICC), however, has threatened Pakistan with serious consequences if it fails to show up for the high-profile match.

In a statement, the ICC had said it hopes that the PCB will "consider the significant and long-term implications for cricket in its own country as this is likely to impact the global cricket ecosystem, which it is itself a member and beneficiary of."

Nasser Hussain, Michael Atherton back Bangladesh, Pakistan

Former England skipper Nasser Hussain have now come in support of Pakistan and Bangladesh, questioning ICC's credentials.

“If India, a month before a tournament, said ‘our government doesn't want us to play in a country for a World Cup’, would the ICC have been so firm and said, ‘You know the rules, bad luck, we’re knocking you out?’” Hussain asked in Sky Sport's podcast.

He added that Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) could be powerful, but said that the power comes with responsibility.

“The only question all sides ask for is consistency. Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India must be treated the same. Yes, India fans may say, ‘Cry more, we have the money!’ But with power comes responsibility. Constantly knocking Bangladesh or Pakistan diminishes their cricket. That’s why the great games between India and Pakistan or India and Bangladesh have become one-sided over time,” he added.

Another former England captain -- Michael Atherton-- who was also on the podcast, shared Hussain's views and said that the politics spreads through to franchise cricket, adding that Pakistan and Bangladesh players could also be isolated from T20 leagues across the globe, given that Indian franchises own teams in multiple leagues.

Atherton was also quick to suggest that franchises must be mandated to pick players from Pakistan and Bangladesh to keep up the quality of their cricket.

Hypocrisy called out

However, social media users did not like the idea and pointed out numerous flaws in their arguments.

People reminded Hussain that India had already refused to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy in 2025, adding that the two circumstances were not the same.

They pointed out that India had informed the ICC months in advance that they could not travel to Pakistan due to geo-political relations. Bangladesh, on the other hand, pulled out only because Mustafizur Rahman's Indian Premier League (IPL) contract was cancelled by the BCCI.

Further, it was also pointed that no Indian investor would invest in leagues if they are compelled to buy Pakistani or Bangladeshi players against their will.

No Pakistani player has featured in the SA20, where all teams are owned by IPL franchise owners, since its inception.

Pakistani representation has also declined over the years in leagues like the Caribbean Premier League and International League T20, where Indians own franchises.

This could also extend into The Hundred, where five teams have been bought by Indian owners recently.

Additionally, Hussain was also called out for hypocrisy, where fans pointed out that England themselves had stated security concerns during the 2003 World Cup and not travelled to Zimbabwe. Ironically, Hussain was the captain when the decision by the British government was taken.

Further, they also said that Zimbabwe was forced to pull out of the 2009 T20 World Cup held in England as the players were not given visas due to political reasons.