New Delhi: With the ICC T20 World Cup facing uncertainty over participation of some teams, the Icelandic Cricket Association has been taking to X to do what it does best —offering deadpan humour and taking witty digs.
In its latest post on Thursday—which comes amid Pakistan’s non-committal stance on participation after the ICC dropped Bangladesh over its refusal to travel to India—the ICA announced they “aren’t available to replace Pakistan” in the T20 World Cup, which is set to begin 7 February.
A day before this post, they jokingly claimed they were “ready to take off” for Colombo if Pakistan pulled out. They even posted a picture of the available flight options.
India and Sri Lanka are jointly hosting the tournament.
“We really need Pakistan to decide soon upon their participation in the T20 WC. We are ready to take off as soon as they pull out on 2nd Feb, but the flight schedule is a logistical nightmare to get us to Colombo in good time for 7th Feb. Our opening bat is an insomniac!” the ICA wrote.
We really need Pakistan to decide soon upon their participation in the T20 WC.
We are ready to take off as soon as they pull out on 2nd Feb, but the flight schedule is a logistical nightmare to get us to Colombo in good time for 7th Feb.
Our opening bat is an insomniac! pic.twitter.com/2hJSpMn0Cx
— Iceland Cricket (@icelandcricket) January 28, 2026
They have now followed it up with a X post directed at the International Cricket Council, saying that their squad of amateur players, ranging from professional bakers, bankers to ship captains, simply cannot drop their occupations on such short notice.
“We are not like Scotland and able to turn up on a whim, with no kit sponsor. Our players are from all walks of life and cannot simply drop their occupations to fly halfway around the world to experience temperatures only normally felt in Finnish saunas,” the post read.
“Our captain, a professional baker, needs to attend to his oven, our ship captain needs to steer his vessel, and our bankers need to go bankrupt (again). This is the harsh reality of cricket at the amateur level of the game.”
Dear @ICC,
It is with a heavy heart that we now announce our unavailability to replace Pakistan in the upcoming T20 World Cup. Regardless of whether they now withdraw, the short timescales ensure it is impossible for our squad to prepare in the professional manner necessary to…
— Iceland Cricket (@icelandcricket) January 29, 2026
Later, they replied to their onw post, saying they still haven’t heard back from the ICC. “We thought we might have accidentally tagged the International Criminal Court, but turns out we did not. Maybe they reply by puffin post.”
If Pakistan officially withdraws by the February 2 deadline, Uganda might receive a call-up as per the recent qualifying performance and ICC rankings.
“Our loss is likely Uganda’s gain. We wish them well. Their kits cannot be missed unless you have epilepsy, in which case they are probably best avoided. The future is always ice, until it isn’t,” the ICA wrote.
After the ICC opted to replace Bangladesh with Scotland, following Bangladesh’s refusal to tour India, the Pakistan Cricket Board also issued veiled threats to withdraw from the tournament in solidarity.
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi stated that a final decision on participation will be taken by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Though the 15-member team has confirmed its traveling squad, the supposed ‘permission’ from the government hasn’t arrived yet.
Reportedly, the ICC has already warned Pakistan against any such move, saying any such 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 scheduled to be played in Sri Lanka. The same arrangement will be in place for the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Naqvi said that Bangladesh should also be offered a similar arrangement, arguing that no country should be allowed to impose its terms on another.
Notably, India and Pakistan are set to lock horns on February 15 in Colombo.
As for the ICA, it does not restrict itself to cricketing matters.
Last week, its posted a stinging joke on US President Donald Trump for his gaffe–when he said ‘Iceland’ instead of ‘Greenland’ four times– during his address at the World Economic Forum in Davos. After Trump’s speech, the ICA said on X that Iceland is a “volcanic rock in the north Atlantic surrounded by insignificant islands that don’t play cricket”. It went on to add sarcastically that the confusion would be “economically devastating”.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
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