Pakistan’s decision to boycott their T20 World Cup clash against India has left the cricketing world more confused than convinced. What should have been a political statement instead opened up a flood of uncomfortable questions, particularly about how far this stance should go.
The flashpoint is on February 15 in Colombo, where India and Pakistan were scheduled to meet in the league stage of the 2026 FIFA T20 World Cup. notification of the Government of Pakistan caught fans off guard, it was former cricketers who expressed the sharpest doubts, wondering whether selective participation in a global tournament was even feasible.
Pietersen and Ashwin question the boycott stance
Former England captain Kevin Pietersen was among the first to publicly question the logic of the move, questioning whether Pakistan would maintain the same position if the two sides crossed paths later in the tournament.
“Not sure if India can face Pakistan in this World Cup final because of groups and playoffs, but if so, would Pakistan refuse to play the World Cup final?” Pietersen wrote in his post.
Soon after, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin joined in, pointing out the complications such a boycott could cause in knock-out scenarios.
“India-Pakistan clash, even in knockout is ruled out? Sure? Will we get there, will it be ‘World T 20 bye’?” Ashwin’s post read.
Why did Pakistan threaten to boycott IND vs PAK?
Pakistan’s boycott announcement follows comments by PCB chairman and interior minister Mohsin Naqvi, who threatened to pull out in solidarity with Bangladesh after they were replaced by Scotland in the 20-team competition. While the political message was clear, the cricketing fallout was anything but.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has already raised serious concernswarning that selective participation undermines the tournament and its global audience. The ICC said it was awaiting a formal communication from the Pakistan Cricket Board, but stressed that such decisions could have long-term implications for the sport.
Meanwhile, sources at the Board of Control for Cricket in India say that India will stick to the protocol. The side will travel to Colombo, attend training sessions and media commitments and leave the final call to the match referees.
The India-Pakistan match remains cricket’s most prized possession, which is why the ICC has consistently placed both teams in the same group since 2012 despite frozen bilateral relations. If Pakistan hold on, the 2026 T20 World Cup could become the first men’s ICC event since 2010 without an India-Pakistan contest, a scenario that may force the ICC to take tougher action.
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
February 2, 2026