India captain Suryakumar Yadav and Pakistan captain Salman Agha (Image credit: Agencies) NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan pacer Danish Kaneria believes the decision to boycott the T20 World Cup match against India will hurt Pakistan cricket more than anyone else, warning that it creates a negative image and suggesting that “Pakistan are afraid to face India and that’s why they refuse to play.”On Sunday, the Pakistan government allowed the national team to participate in the ICC World T20 2026 but ordered them not to take the field against India in the February 15 match.
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Explaining his stance, Kaneria said that Pakistan’s earlier request to avoid traveling to India had already been met and the matches had been shifted to neutral venues. He pointed out that the contest between India and Pakistan in this World Cup was scheduled in Sri Lanka, so a boycott was difficult to justify.“Pakistan had earlier requested not to come to play in India and that request was accepted, so their matches were held at a neutral venue. In this World Cup, the India-Pakistan match was to be played in Sri Lanka.“There is no logic in boycotting this match. Pakistan seems to think they are supporting Bangladesh who have already been knocked out of the tournament. But they should focus on their own cricket and where they are taking it. This sends a message that people will feel that Pakistan is afraid to face India and that is why they are refusing to play,” Kaneria said.Kaneria added that the move had made Pakistan’s path to the knockouts much more difficult, calling it a serious miscalculation. He also questioned the relevance of the rivalry, noting India’s consistent dominance in recent World Cups.“This decision has made it very difficult for Pakistan to go to the semi-finals or the knockouts. I think it is a very, very bad decision. If Pakistan believes that the India-Pakistan game is the cream of the crop, then this rivalry does not really exist anymore because Pakistan cricket does not play the brand of cricket that India plays. India has beaten the World Cup, be it the World Cup in all stages after the World Cup, T20 Cup,” he said.Looking at a potential knockout encounter, Kaneria warned against emotionally driven choices.“Such decisions increase the consequences. They didn’t think long-term, especially about Bangladesh. Taking such decisions emotionally, without due consideration, is not right in my opinion. Decisions should be taken carefully and wisely. You didn’t play the first match, but if you face India tomorrow in the semi-final or the final, will you hand over the trophy just by not playing the final?“You should come to the ground, fight for it and win from there – then you feel that you have avenged everything. But there is no difference at all in such a boycott.”He concluded by stating that the players may be unhappy, but they cannot express themselves.“I think a lot of Pakistani cricketers would be upset, but they are in a position where they can’t talk about it openly.”
