India vs. Pakistan (agency image) NEW DELHI: Pakistan will not take the field against India in the 2026 FIFA Men’s T20 World Cup, the Pakistan government confirmed in an official statement on X.While granting permission for the national team to travel to Sri Lanka for the tournament, the government said that Pakistan would boycott the group stage match against India scheduled for 15 February 2026, without elaborating on the reason for the decision.
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The two sides met in Colombo, Sri Lanka in a Group A match.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!“The Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan grants approval to the Pakistan Cricket Team to participate in the World T20 2026, however, the Pakistan Cricket Team will not play in the match scheduled for February 15, 2026 against India,” the statement said.TimesofIndia.com understands that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is yet to inform the International Cricket Council (ICC) of its decision not to play the match on February 15.
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The ICC later issued a strong statement in response to Pakistan’s decision to boycott the tournament. “The ICC takes note of the statement by the Government of Pakistan regarding the decision to instruct its national team to participate selectively in the 2026 ICC Men’s Under-20 World Cup,” the ICC statement said. “While the ICC awaits an official communication from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), this position of selective participation is difficult to reconcile with the basic premise of a global sporting event where all qualified teams are expected to compete on equal terms as per the schedule of the event.“ICC tournaments are built on sporting integrity, competitiveness, consistency and fairness and selective participation undermines the spirit and sanctity of the competitions.“While the ICC respects the role of governments in matters of national politics, this decision is not in the interest of the global game or the welfare of fans around the world, including millions in Pakistan.“The ICC hopes that the PCB will consider the significant and long-term implications for cricket in its own country as it is likely to affect the global cricket ecosystem of which it is itself a member and beneficiary.“The ICC’s priority remains the successful conduct of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, for which all its members, including the PCB, should be held accountable. It expects the PCB to explore a mutually acceptable solution that will protect the interests of all parties involved.”Pakistan’s participation in the T20 World Cup has come under a cloud after PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi raised doubts following Bangladesh’s exclusion from the tournament on January 24 due to security concerns in India.Pakistan was the only country to support Bangladesh’s request for a neutral venue and accused the ICC of applying double standards in favor of India. Naqvi claimed that the final decision will be taken by the government.Two days later, after a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Naqvi said he had been advised to keep all options open, with a phone call expected “on Friday or next Monday”.
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Pakistan is due to travel to Colombo on Monday. They will play their only warm-up game against Ireland on February 4 in Colombo.The Salman Ali Agha-led side will begin their campaign against the Netherlands on February 7, followed by the United States on February 10 and Namibia on February 18.Pakistan will lose two points from the match against India if they decide to boycott the match.
