The Pakistan government has confirmed that its national cricket team will take part in the T20 World Cup 2026 but will boycott its much-anticipated group-stage match against India.
Pakistan were scheduled to face the Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian side in Colombo on February 15. The decision was announced on Sunday, a week after the International Cricket Council (ICC) rejected Bangladesh’s request to move its World Cup matches out of India.
Bangladesh had sought the shift following Mustafizur Rahman’s exit from the Indian Premier League, a move Pakistan publicly supported. However, the ICC denied the request, citing security and logistical reasons, and eventually replaced Bangladesh with Scotland in the tournament.
Following the ICC’s verdict, Pakistan has now expressed its refusal to play against India, a move that has drawn sharp reactions from the cricketing fraternity.
Also Read: ‘Deal with it’: Ramiz Raja hits back at Cameron Green after action controversy
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has urged the ICC to take firm action against Pakistan to prevent similar situations in the future.
“Definitely, I think if you withdraw at the last moment, that is an issue. If you withdraw earlier on, that’s another matter. But pulling out on the eve of the tournament, yes, the ICC should step in and take some action,” Gavaskar told India Today.
“I don’t know what action they will take, but it should be something that ensures no other team in the future even considers doing this,” he added.
Gavaskar further suggested that the ICC could explore legal options in response to Pakistan’s stance, though the outcome remains uncertain.
“The ICC will probably take legal action against Pakistan over the refusal to play against India. What the result of such action would be, I can’t say, but the ICC will certainly be extremely displeased with this decision,” he said.
Pakistan have been placed in Group A of the T20 World Cup 2026 alongside India, Namibia, the USA and the Netherlands.
Notably, Pakistan’s announcement came on the same day their Under-19 team suffered a crucial defeat against India at the U19 World Cup 2026 in Bulawayo. India U19 outplayed Pakistan U19 by 58 runs in the Super Six clash, eliminating them from the tournament and booking a semi-final showdown against Afghanistan.
