The Pakistan government on Sunday announced that its national men’s team will not play India in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup. A statement issued on the Pakistan government’s official X account confirmed that the team had been granted permission to travel to the tournament in Sri Lanka, but clarified that “the Pakistan cricket team will not take the field for the match scheduled for 15 February 2026 against India”. No specific reason was given for this decision.
Sources told India Today The International Cricket Council has not yet received any written or official communication from the Pakistan Cricket Board in this matter. Any action or sanctions would be considered only after the PCB formally informs the ICC of its stance, according to sources.
Pakistan are placed in Group A alongside India, Namibia, the Netherlands and the United States and are scheduled to play all their matches in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka serves as the co-host of the tournament along with India.
The announcement comes at a time of heightened tension Bangladesh’s elimination from the tournament. Bangladesh had earlier sought to shift their matches from India due to security concerns. When the request was refused and they refused to play, they were replaced by Scotland. Pakistan backed Bangladesh during the ICC board meeting, with PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi publicly stating that a boycott remained an option and that the final call would be on the government.
WILL PAKISTAN FACE SANCTIONS?
If Pakistan does not take the field against India on February 15, the match will be considered a forfeit under ICC rules. This would result in an automatic loss of two points and a negative impact on Pakistan’s net run rate. Article 16.10.7 of the Playing Conditions states that in the event of a forfeit the full quota of overs is counted against the team, while the net run rate of the opponent remains unaffected.
Apart from the immediate sporting punishment, sources suggest that the ICC could consider further disciplinary action once the PCB formally communicates its stance. While there have been setbacks in previous ICC tournaments, officials consider the pre-announced refusal to play a scheduled World Cup match a serious breach.
Refusals to play are not unprecedented. Australia and West Indies did not travel to Sri Lanka during the 1996 World Cup due to security concerns. At the 2003 World Cup, England refused to play Zimbabwe for political reasons, while New Zealand missed out on a group match against Kenya in Nairobi. However, none of these cases involved a major boycott announced well in advance of the start of the marquee.
Sources told India Today The ICC was prepared to consider stronger action Pakistan sealed their decision in the ICC Men’s Under-20 World Cup. The ICC may consider imposing sanctions on Pakistan following recent developments, sources told India Today. These could include restrictions on foreign players receiving NOCs to participate in the PSL, resulting in a large loss of revenue. Pakistan may also risk losing ICC tournament hosting rights if the matter escalates.
“As a direct consequence, the PCB’s share of the ICC’s annual revenue – estimated at around $34.5 million – would be withheld,” the official said on condition of anonymity. The amount is part of the ICC’s $3.2 billion media rights deal for the 2024-27 cycle, more than 85 percent of which comes from the Indian market. For most cricket-playing countries outside India, England and Australia, this source of revenue forms the backbone of their financial model, a source told Hindustan Times.
The ICC is still awaiting official correspondence from the PCB. If Pakistan do not take the field on February 15, the consequences are likely to extend far beyond the lost match and the lost points.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
February 1, 2026
