Pakistan’s decision to boycott the T20 World Cup match against India deprives Surya Kumar Yadav and his team of a celebrated training session. On current form, India would go in, score over 250 and knock Pakistan out immediately. It would be a win for all: India would have a match in Colombo, drama for cricket fans and Pakistan, as Mohammad Rizwan famously said, could “learn”.
However, the current Pakistani establishment has officially moved away from it Rizwan Philosophy “Ya toh win hai ya learn hai” (either we win or we learn). By refusing to take the field, they opted for a spectacle that transcends sport and presents a master class in geopolitical hypocrisy.
To understand the sheer absurdity of this move, we have to peel back the layers of the “principled” stance Pakistan professes. Even on cursory analysis, Islamabad’s stance looks less like a courageous protest and more like a wolf shedding crocodile tears for the sheep it once tried to eat.
Wolf crocodile tears
The official narrative from Islamabad and Lahore is that of “regional brotherhood”. Pakistan says it is skipping the match against India protesting the ICC’s refusal to grant Bangladesh’s request for a hybrid model by shifting their matches to Sri Lanka. They positioned themselves as the sole defenders of Bangladeshi interests, the “big brother” standing against the “hegemony” of India.
However, anyone with a history book knows that this concern is a historical farce. To see Pakistan crying for the rights of Bangladeshi cricketers is a complete irony considering that in 1971 the predecessors of the same Pakistani establishment were involved in a brutal attempt to suppress the very existence of the Bangladeshi people.
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The scars of the Liberation War, a conflict born out of West Pakistan’s refusal to honor a democratic mandate in the East, have never fully healed. Bangladesh has spent a decade seeking a formal apology for the 1971 atrocities, an apology that Pakistan has consistently sidestepped with diplomatic jargon.
That Pakistan is now using Bangladesh as a moral shield to justify insults against India is not just opportunistic; it is a gross insult to history. He is the wolf crying for the sheep.
The tears themselves are borrowed from the crocodile. Pakistan is beating its chest not because it cares about the sheep, but because the sheep’s predicament provides a convenient excuse to bash the opposition.
The cowardice of selective participation
If the PCB really believed that the ICC management was biased enough to warrant a boycott, the only logically consistent course of action would be to pack your bags and go home. A complete withdrawal from the T20 World Cup would bring about a larger principle: we are protesting the ICC.
Instead, they chose a selective boycott. Basically they are saying: We will take prize money from the ICC, play against Scotland and Ireland and stay in five-star hotels paid for by the ICC, but will not play against India because we are protesting.
There is a perfect Punjabi saying for this: “Khaan peen nu bandari, te danda khaan nu reech.” The Pakistani monkey likes to feast at the ICC table, but the moment he has to face the inevitable “danda” of the Indian clinical trial, he suddenly finds his “principles”.
This is not a principled position; it’s a financial survival strategy masquerading as an insurgency. A complete withdrawal would lead to a complete freeze of ICC funding, a collapse of the PCB’s bank accounts and a likely ban from the 2028 Champions Trophy.
Incredibly self-sufficient
From a purely cricketing point of view, this boycott is an act of unprecedented self-sabotage. The immediate impact is this: It robs Pakistani players, many of whom are at the peak of their careers, of a chance to perform on the world’s biggest stage. It is punishing fans who spent thousands of dollars on flights to Colombo.
The tournament will continue. India takes the points. Pakistan will be left standing in the corner of the room shouting into the void while the rest of the world enjoys cricket. And the damage will pile up in Pakistan.
According to the membership agreement, PCB is legally bound to play. The broadcasters are likely to sue the ICC for breach of contract and the ICC will in turn shift all responsibility to the PCB. Estimates suggest that the Disney Star could launch a legal claim for up to $38 million in direct damages.
Pakistan currently receives approximately US$34.5 million annually from the ICC revenue fund. Sources suggest that the ICC is considering withholding as much as 70 to 80 percent of this payout to offset the broadcaster’s losses.
Without this ICC money, the PCB cannot pay player salaries, maintain stadiums or finance its home circuit. They are effectively choosing a political headline over the electricity bill for Gaddafi’s stadium.
International players from PSL could be banned by ICC. Result: If top English, Australian and West Indian players are banned from PSL as a punitive measure, the commercial value of the league will collapse overnight.
Indian attitude
Despite the Pahalgam terror attack in 2025, India did not withdraw from the World Cup. Instead, it agreed to play at a neutral venue in Sri Lanka to protect the interests of the global game. India also lived up to its commitment in last year’s Asia Cup, facing Pakistan up to three times — and defeat your opponents at every opportunity.
For Pakistan to boycott the match over the Bangladesh dispute after India showed restraint in playing after a major terrorist attack, the PCB stand looks incredibly petty and manufactured. And it’s the short-sightedness of cosplaying politics.
The circle of geopolitics keeps turning. Bangladesh and Pakistan could never live peacefully together. This fact does not change.
Where will Islamabad hide when Bangladesh remembers its past – and it inevitably will – and recognizes the wolf for what it is?
The irony is thick enough to suffocate. Islamabad’s fresh bout of affection for Bangladesh, its former, is built on a foundation of historical amnesia. Renewed affairs with a history of trauma and breakups offer neither a win nor a lesson. They only add regret – no morning after pill.
When the future administration of Bangladesh or the people still carrying the scars of Operation Searchlight decide to reject this opportunistic brotherhood, Pakistan will be completely exposed.
When the wolf’s sheepskin is finally torn, Pakistan will find itself exactly where it is today: standing alone in a corner, shouting into the void while the rest of the world moves on.
Sandipan Sharma, our guest writer, likes to write about cricket, film, music and politics. They believe they are connected.
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Issued by:
Akshay Ramesh
Published on:
February 2, 2026