The Pakistan government has confirmed that its national cricket team will take part in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 but will boycott its scheduled match against India. The Pakistan government announced on Sunday that the team will not face the Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian side in Colombo on February 15.
The move comes a week after the International Cricket Council (ICC) rejected Bangladesh’s request to shift its T20 World Cup matches out of India following Mustafizur Rahman’s exit from the Indian Premier League. Pakistan supported Bangladesh’s appeal, but after the ICC rejected it, Scotland eventually replaced Bangladesh. Soon after that decision, Pakistan made its unwillingness to play India clear.
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Former India captain warns last-minute withdrawal sets dangerous precedent as ICC weighs possible legal steps against Pakistan
Reacting strongly, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar said the ICC must step in to prevent such situations in the future. He stressed that withdrawing from a match at the last moment undermines the tournament’s integrity. “If a team pulls out on the eve of the tournament, that’s a serious issue. In such cases, the ICC should certainly take action to ensure no team thinks of doing this again,” Gavaskar told India Today.
Gavaskar also indicated that the ICC could consider legal action against Pakistan, though the final outcome remains uncertain. He said the ICC would be “extremely displeased” with the Pakistan government’s decision. The ICC placed Pakistan in Group A of the T20 World Cup 2026, along with India, Namibia, the USA, and the Netherlands. The timing of the announcement stood out because Pakistan’s U19 team played India in a crucial Super Six match at the U19 World Cup 2026 in Bulawayo on the same day. India U19 dominated the contest, defeating Pakistan by 58 runs, eliminating them from the tournament and setting up a semi-final clash with Afghanistan.
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