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Pakistan to boycott India clash in T20 World Cup, PM Shehbaz Sharif confirms
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reiterated that the country will boycott its T20 World Cup 2026 group-stage match against India, saying Islamabad has taken a “clear and deliberate stand” on the high-profile fixture scheduled for February 15 in Sri Lanka.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reiterated that the country will boycott its T20 World Cup 2026 group-stage match against India, saying Islamabad has taken a “clear and deliberate stand” on the high-profile fixture scheduled for February 15 in Sri Lanka.
Addressing the federal cabinet in Islamabad on Wednesday, Sharif confirmed that Pakistan would not participate in the match against India, describing the decision as carefully considered.
“We have taken a clear stand regarding the T20 World Cup that we will not play the match against India. There should be no politics in sports, and this decision has been made after careful deliberation,” the Prime Minister said.
Government directs team to skip match
Earlier, the Pakistan government announced on social media platform X that the national team “shall not take the field” against India, without specifying the reason for the move. The directive effectively means Pakistan will boycott the high-voltage group encounter.
ICC expresses concern
The International Cricket Council (ICC) responded by cautioning against “selective participation”, stating that such decisions conflict with the core principles of global tournaments.
In an official statement, the ICC said:
“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.”
The governing body emphasised that ICC tournaments are built on sporting integrity, competitiveness, consistency and fairness, adding that skipping scheduled matches could undermine the spirit of the competition.
While acknowledging the role of governments in national policy matters, the ICC urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to find a mutually acceptable resolution that safeguards the interests of players, fans and stakeholders worldwide.
Tournament context
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, will be played from February 7 to March 8.
Pakistan are placed in Group A alongside:
- India
- Namibia
- Netherlands
- USA
Historically, Pakistan have struggled against India in T20 World Cups, losing seven of their eight encounters.
Meanwhile, the ICC recently replaced Bangladesh with Scotland in the tournament after Bangladesh declined to participate, citing concerns over match scheduling.
Uncertainty over high-profile clash
With political tensions spilling into cricket, uncertainty now surrounds one of the most anticipated fixtures of the tournament, often considered the biggest rivalry in international cricket.
The ICC has made it clear that its priority remains the smooth conduct of the tournament, and it expects all member boards, including the PCB, to honour the official schedule.
