The federal government announced on Sunday that Pakistan will participate in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, while the national team will boycott the match against India scheduled for February 15, 2026.
The decision, announced by the Pakistani government, follows the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) removal of Bangladesh from the tournament after Dhaka raised security concerns over playing in India.
“The Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan grants approval to the Pakistan Cricket Team to participate in the ICC World T20 2026,” the government said in a post on X.
“...however, the Pakistan Cricket Team shall not take the field in the match scheduled on 15th February 2026 against India.”
The reasons behind Pakistan's decision not to play the T20 World Cup match against India on 15 February have come to light. The move was intended to show solidarity with Bangladesh, government sources told Geo News.
Multiple factors influenced the decision, with the ICC's perceived biased stance towards Bangladesh playing a central role, they said, adding that the Pakistani team was instructed not to take the field against India on February 15 as "a form of protest".
The sources said that ICC chief Jay Shah's partial decisions had effectively turned the International Cricket Council into an extension of the Indian cricket board.
They further said that these biased decisions have undermined the principles of fairness and equality, accusing the ICC of applying different standards to different countries on its platform.
"We are going to the World Cup," Pakistan T20 skipper Salman Ali Agha said, adding, "We will do whatever our cricket board instructs us to do."
Agha made the remarks during a post-match press conference today after Pakistan defeated Australia in the third and final T20I at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium, completing a clean series sweep.
On Pakistan’s decision to boycott the match against India, he said: "The decision not to play against India is made by the government."
The development comes after the ICC rejected the Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB) request to move their matches to a venue outside India.
The BCB had sought the change following the removal of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the Indian Premier League (IPL) on the instructions of the Indian cricket board, a move that sparked widespread outrage in Bangladesh.
However, the ICC replaced Bangladesh with Scotland in the tournament on Saturday, stating that it was not feasible to revise the schedule so close to the February 7 start of the World Cup.
Meanwhile, under an existing arrangement between Pakistan and India, the Men in Green will play any ICC fixtures, including their T20 World Cup matches, at neutral venues.
For the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026, Pakistan's matches are scheduled to be held in Sri Lanka.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has expressed hope that the PCB would work towards a "mutually acceptable resolution".
In a statement, the cricket governing body noted the government's statement, in which it said that Pakistan would play the tournament but skip their game against India.
"While the ICC awaits official communication from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), this position of selective participation is difficult to reconcile with the fundamental premise of a global sporting event where all qualified teams are expected to compete on equal terms per the event schedule," the ICC said.
It added that such "selective participation undermines the spirit and sanctity of the competitions" built on sporting integrity, competitiveness, consistency and fairness.
The ICC said that it respected the roles of governments in matters of national policy, however, it added that the decision was not "in the interest of the global game or the welfare of fans worldwide, including millions in Pakistan".
"The ICC hopes that the PCB will consider the significant and long-term implications for cricket in its own country as this is likely to impact the global cricket ecosystem, which it is itself a member and beneficiary of," the ICC stated.
It asserted that its priority remained the successful delivery of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, saying it should also be the responsibility of all its members including the PCB.
