Legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has urged the International Cricket Council (ICC) to impose severe sanctions on the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for boycotting India in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026. The Pakistani government has allowed its national team to participate in the tournament but has reportedly ordered them not to take the field against their group.
India and Pakistan are scheduled to face each other on February 15 at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The contest between the two sides is widely regarded as the most anticipated match of any ICC event. However, the future of the Marquis meeting is now in serious doubt after the announcement of the Government of Pakistan.
With Pakistan all set to boycott the match against India, Sunil Gavaskar believes the ICC must step in and sanction Pakistan to set a strong precedent for other teams in the future.
“Certainly, I think if you pull out at the last minute, that’s a problem. If you pull out earlier, it’s a completely different thing. But if you pull out at the last minute, on the eve of the tournament, then yes, I think the ICC should definitely come in and take some action. I don’t know what action they’re going to take, though, but I think there’s a lot of other people who shouldn’t be involved, so that should be a decision.” no other team is thinking about it in future either,” Gavaskar told India Today.
What sanctions can ICC impose on PCB?
If Pakistan does not take the field against India on February 15, the match will be considered a forfeit as per ICC regulations. This would result in an automatic loss of two points along with a negative impact on Pakistan’s net run rate. Clause 16.10.7 of the Playing Conditions states that in the event of a concussion, the full quota of overs is counted against the team, while the opponent’s net run rate remains unaffected.
In addition to the immediate sporting penalty, sources said that The ICC could consider further disciplinary action once the PCB formally communicates his position. The ICC may explore the possibility of imposing sanctions on Pakistan following the recent development, sources told India Today. These measures could include restrictions on overseas players receiving No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to participate in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), which could lead to significant revenue losses. Pakistan may also risk losing the rights to host future ICC tournaments if the matter escalates further.
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Issued by:
Rishabh Beniwal
Published on:
February 1, 2026
