Sri Lanka, Feb. 5 -- Efforts to persuade Pakistan to reconsider its decision to boycott its T20 World Cup match against India appear to have stalled, as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday reiterated that the country's stance remains unchanged.

According to Pakistani media reports, Sharif said, "We have taken a clear stand regarding the T20 World Cup that we will not play the match against India." He added that the decision was made after careful deliberation and described it as appropriate. Emphasising that politics should not interfere with sports, Sharif said the matter had been thoroughly assessed before reaching a conclusion.

Earlier, Pakistan announced it would boycott its group-stage match against India in the T20 World C...