With simply days to go for the boys’s T20 World Cup, the Pakistan authorities on Sunday directed its crew to not play towards India within the group-stage fixture in Colombo on February 15, even because it cleared its participation within the event.
“The federal government of Pakistan grants approval to the Pakistan cricket crew to take part within the ICC World T20 2026. Nevertheless, the Pakistan cricket crew shall not take the sphere within the match scheduled on fifteenth February towards India,” the Pakistan authorities stated in a press release.
This got here simply hours earlier than the crew was set to fly to Sri Lanka, the place they are going to be based mostly throughout the event which begins on February 7.
Whereas the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is but to tell the Worldwide Cricket Council (ICC) concerning the choice, the world physique, in a press release issued later within the night, warned that “selective participation undermines the spirit and sanctity of the competitions”, and will have “long-term implications”.
“Whereas the ICC awaits official communication from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), this place of selective participation is troublesome to reconcile with the elemental premise of a world sporting occasion the place all certified groups are anticipated to compete on equal phrases,” it stated.
“The ICC hopes that the PCB will contemplate the numerous and long-term implications for cricket in its personal nation as that is more likely to influence the worldwide cricket ecosystem, which it’s itself a member and beneficiary of,” it stated. “Whereas the ICC respects the roles of governments in issues of nationwide coverage, this choice just isn’t within the curiosity of the worldwide recreation or the welfare of followers worldwide, together with tens of millions in Pakistan… The ICC’s precedence stays the profitable supply of the ICC Males’s T20 World Cup which also needs to be the accountability of all its members together with the PCB… It additionally expects the PCB to discover a mutually acceptable decision, which protects the pursuits of all stakeholders,” it stated.
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As reported by The Indian Categorical earlier, when the PCB threatened a full boycott of the T20 World Cup — in solidarity with Bangladesh, which was changed by Scotland after they (Bangladesh) refused to journey to India citing safety considerations — sources within the ICC had stated there might be extreme sanctions on Pakistan, together with the suspension of bilateral collection and a ban on worldwide gamers that includes within the Pakistan Tremendous League.
India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav, left, and Pakistan’s captain Salman Agha stand for the coin toss of the Asia Cup cricket ultimate between India and Pakistan at Dubai Worldwide Cricket Stadium, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. (AP Photograph/Altaf Qadri)
Whereas Sunday’s assertion specified the February 15 match, sources in Lahore stated Pakistan not taking the sphere in a knockout fixture towards India later within the event wasn’t a part of their plan. “It’s not our choice. We’ve got to do what our authorities and the chairman (PCB) resolve,” Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha stated in Lahore.
The Indian cricket board stated it has already made preparations for the match in Colombo. “Our lodge has been booked and ICC has already booked flight tickets for the Indian crew. The BCCI hasn’t obtained any mail from the ICC informing about Pakistan’s choice. We checked with ICC they usually too haven’t obtained any official mail on this,” a BCCI official instructed The Indian Categorical.
Pakistan’s choice may have a severe influence, each on and off the sphere. The broadcaster, which pays Rs 138.7 crore per match, is looking at an enormous loss as India vs Pakistan is the most-anticipated match, drawing peak viewership and producing probably the most income by means of ads.
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If Pakistan sticks to the choice, they should win all their remaining three group fixtures towards the Netherlands, USA and Namibia to keep away from an early elimination, as they stand to lose two factors and their web run charge may even take a success.
Prior to now, there have been cases in ICC occasions when groups refused to play, citing authorities selections. In 1996, Australia and West Indies didn’t play in Sri Lanka citing safety causes, and consequently the island nation was awarded factors which helped their passage to the knockouts.
Throughout the 2003 World Cup, England boycotted their match towards Zimbabwe resulting from bilateral tensions. In the identical event, New Zealand didn’t journey to Nairobi for his or her group match towards Kenya after the ICC refused to vary the venue regardless of safety considerations. Within the 2009 World T20, Zimbabwe declined to journey to England resulting from variations with the federal government.
In all these circumstances, not one of the member boards confronted any sanctions or income loss as they acted on the premise of presidency orders.