New Delhi: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Sunday officially announced the boycott of their match against India in the 2026 T20 World Cup. The high-octane fixture was set to take place on February 15 in Colombo.
“The Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan grants approval to the Pakistan Cricket Team to participate in the ICC World T20 2026,” the Pakistani government said in a post on X. “However, the Pakistan Cricket Team shall not take the field in the match scheduled on 15th February 2026 against India.”
The move is aimed at showing solidarity with Bangladesh, who refused to travel to India for the world cup. Thereafter, the International Cricket Council opted to replace Bangladesh with Scotland. And, this was followed by Pakistani CB issuing veiled threats to withdraw from the tournament in solidarity.
Reportedly, the ICC had already warned Pakistan, saying any such move could lead to severe sanctions, with long-term adverse effects on Pakistan cricket across formats and competitions.
Pakistan participates under a hybrid model in ICC events hosted by India, with all their matches to be played in Sri Lanka. The same arrangement was supposed to be in place for the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Bangladesh’s refusal to travel to India came days after the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) announced its decision to release bowler Mustafizur Rahman from the squad, amid protests from a section of fans and politicians who objected to keeping a Bangladeshi player in the tournament amid anti-India demonstrations and attacks on Hindus in the country.
Faizan Lakhani, Deputy Sports Editor at Karachi-based Geo News, said Pakistan’s decision to not play India may disappoint many fans on both sides of the border.
“This is a decision by the Government of Pakistan, and no cricket board can act against its government’s directive. The BCCI, the richest cricket board in the world, couldn’t defy its government, and Bangladesh also complied with theirs, so how could Pakistan cricket go against its own?” he told ThePrint.
He said Pakistan and India were anyway not playing against each other like two sports teams. “There were no handshakes, no signs of sportsmanship, nothing that reflects the true spirit of the game. If respect for the essence of sports cannot be upheld, it is better that we don’t play at all.”
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
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