Dhaka, Feb. 5 -- Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has officially confirmed that their national cricket team will not take the field against India in the upcoming T20 World Cup, stating the decision was made to stand in solidarity with Bangladesh.

Addressing cabinet members in Islamabad on Wednesday, Sharif declared that "politics should not exist on the sports field."

This is the first time the government has publicly articulated the specific reason behind the boycott, which was announced via social media last week, UNB reports.

"We have taken a very clear position on the T20 World Cup-we will not play the match against India," Sharif told his cabinet. "We took this decision after much thought. We should fully stand by Bangladesh...