Pakistan boycott match against India in T20 World Cup

The Pakistan Cricket Board, PCB, had been awaiting approval from the Pakistani government to participate in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup. Following discussions with the board, the government has granted permission for Shaheen Afridi’s team to take part in the tournament. However, Pakistan has decided to boycott its group-stage match against India.

In a statement issued on Sunday, February 1, the Pakistani government confirmed both Pakistan’s participation in the World Cup and the decision to boycott the match against India. The move has been taken in protest against the International Cricket Council’s decision regarding Bangladesh.

The government said that Pakistan has been permitted to participate in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, but the Pakistan team will not take the field against India in their scheduled match on February 15, 2026.

Earlier, on January 26, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi met Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad. During that meeting, the government provided policy guidance regarding Pakistan’s participation in the World Cup. The decision to boycott the match against India has now been formally announced.

The issue originated after Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman was dropped from the Indian Premier League. Citing security concerns, the Board of Control for Cricket in India excluded the fast bowler. Subsequently, Bangladesh also refused to travel to India for the World Cup, citing similar security concerns.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board requested the ICC to relocate Bangladesh’s matches to co-host Sri Lanka instead of India due to security issues. Despite multiple rounds of discussions, Bangladesh failed to secure ICC approval. Ultimately, the ICC replaced Bangladesh with Scotland in the World Cup.

The PCB has protested against the ICC’s decision from the outset. As a continuation of that protest, Pakistan has now decided to boycott its match against India.