Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has confirmed that Pakistan will boycott its ICC T20 World Cup 2026 match against India. The India vs Pakistan game was scheduled to be played in Colombo, but Pakistan has decided not to take part.
Sharif said Pakistan is taking this step to support Bangladesh, which was recently removed from the tournament. He told his cabinet that Pakistan has taken a “very clear stand” and will not play India because sports should not have politics.
The issue started after the BCCI ordered Bangladesh bowler Mustafizur Rahman to be dropped from the Kolkata Knight Riders squad. After that, the Bangladesh government announced its team would not play matches in India. The ICC later rejected Bangladesh’s requests, and Scotland replaced Bangladesh in the tournament.
The ICC responded with concern, saying Pakistan’s selective participation could harm cricket in the long run and affect the global cricket ecosystem.
Pakistan’s squad for the tournament includes Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan, and Usman Tariq.
Pakistan will play all its matches in Sri Lanka, starting February 7, due to the mutual agreement between India and Pakistan.
Shehbaz Sharif Calls India Match Boycott a “Considered Stance” to Support Bangladesh
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan’s decision to boycott the India vs Pakistan match in the T20 World Cup 2026 was an “appropriate” and “considered stance” taken to support Bangladesh.
He said Pakistan will not play India because sports should not have politics. He also clearly stated that Pakistan is standing fully with Bangladesh.
The Pakistan government has told the team to skip the match scheduled for February 15, after Scotland replaced Bangladesh in the tournament. Bangladesh was removed because it refused to play matches in India due to security concerns.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is expected to use the Force Majeure clause to protect itself if the ICC takes action. Force Majeure means unexpected situations that stop a contract from being completed. PCB may use the government’s February 1 social media instruction as its reason.
The ICC has warned PCB that not showing up for the India match could lead to serious consequences because the match is very important for money from sponsors, broadcasters, and advertisers.
PCB has also said it will follow the government’s decision even if Pakistan meets India again in the knockout stage.
The situation started after Bangladesh refused to travel to India after their bowler, Mustafizur Rahman, was removed from the IPL on the BCCI’s instructions.
BCB Worried Pakistan’s India Match Boycott Could Hurt ICC Revenue
Pakistan’s decision to boycott the India vs Pakistan match at the T20 World Cup 2026 has now created worry inside the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).
A section of BCB officials are reportedly unhappy because they fear the boycott could cause a major financial loss for the ICC, which would also reduce the money Bangladesh receives.
According to reports, the India-Pakistan match alone is estimated to be worth around USD 500 million (Rs 4,500 crore). This value comes from broadcast rights, advertising, sponsorships, and ticket sales.
One senior BCB director said if the match does not happen, the entire cricket world will suffer losses, and Bangladesh’s dividend from ICC earnings could also drop. He said Bangladesh did not want such financial damage.
Another BCB director said the boycott could hurt the ICC’s central revenue pool, which many smaller cricket nations depend on. He gave examples like Kenya and Uganda, saying even they rely on ICC funds, and Bangladesh also needs that money due to its infrastructure costs.
The official also said Pakistan’s move looked like an attempt to send a strong message to India and challenge India’s dominance in cricket.
Even though the situation is tense, the BCB official still said dialogue is possible and hoped both sides could reach an agreement later.
FAQs
Q. Where was the India vs Pakistan match supposed to be played?
A. India vs Pakistan was scheduled to be played in Colombo.
Q. Why did Pakistan decide to boycott the India match?
A. Pakistan said it took the step to support Bangladesh, which was removed from the tournament.
Q. Why was Bangladesh removed from the tournament?
A. Bangladesh refused to play matches in India due to security concerns.
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