With the T20 World Cup 2026 set to begin on February 7, Pakistan’s latest move has injected fresh uncertainty into an already tense build-up. Reports suggest the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has struggled to gain support from other cricket boards after raising concerns over its standoff with the International Cricket Council (ICC), leaving the Men in Green increasingly isolated at a critical moment for global cricket.

The Pakistan government had earlier stated on social media that the national team would participate in the tournament but would not take the field on February 15 for their scheduled clash against India. This announcement came in the wake of Bangladesh’s exit from the event, which was officially attributed to security concerns. Under an existing India-Pakistan agreement, Pakistan will play all their matches in Sri Lanka during ICC tournaments through 2027.

Isolation and lack of support for Pakistan

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Despite growing speculation, the PCB had not formally communicated its selective participation to the ICC until recently. Instead, the board reportedly reached out to several other ICC member nations to rally support. According to senior cricket journalist Boria Majumdar, Pakistan’s overtures were met with a near-universal rebuff.

“Till late last night [Monday], Pakistan had not formally reached out to the ICC. But the development is they tried reaching out to multiple other cricket boards yesterday. And every cricket board more or less shunned Pakistan, stating they have no locus standi in this matter. Pakistan is unnecessarily trying to politicise the issue and create a big crisis for global cricket when the World Cup is around the corner and warm-up games have already started,” Majumdar reported via RevSportz.

The strong pushback stems largely from the perception that Pakistan lacks formal standing at this stage. Tournament preparations are well underway, warm-up matches have begun, and broadcasters, teams, and organizers are fully aligned with the ICC’s existing framework. Cricket boards were reportedly concerned about the timing of Pakistan’s outreach, warning that any disruption could have wide-ranging financial, logistical, and competitive consequences.

Without external support, Pakistan’s options to escalate the issue appear limited. The ICC is unlikely to revisit its decisions unless there is a collective push from member nations, which currently seems improbable. As things stand, the tournament schedule remains unchanged, and the ICC has not made any formal announcements regarding Pakistan’s selective participation.