DUBAI : Pakistan will boycott its scheduled match against India at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, according to a statement issued by the Pakistan government on Saturday.
In a post shared on the government’s official X account, Islamabad confirmed that it had granted approval for the Pakistan national cricket team to travel to Sri Lanka to participate in the tournament. However, the statement made clear that the team would not take the field for its group-stage fixture against India, scheduled for February 15, 2026.
“The Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan grants approval to the Pakistan Cricket Team to participate in the ICC World T20 2026; however, the Pakistan Cricket Team shall not take the field in the match scheduled on 15th February 2026 against India,” the statement said.
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No official reason was provided for the decision.
The India–Pakistan clash is widely regarded as the most commercially valuable fixture in international cricket and has been a centrepiece of every major International Cricket Council tournament for more than a decade. Since 2012, the ICC has consistently placed the two rivals in the same group to guarantee at least one encounter, despite the absence of bilateral cricket between them for nearly 14 years due to strained diplomatic relations.
If Pakistan maintains its stance, the 2026 tournament would become the first men’s ICC global event since 2010 to proceed without an India–Pakistan match.
Uncertainty over Pakistan’s participation in the tournament had intensified in recent weeks following comments by Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi. His remarks came after Bangladesh were removed from the competition on January 24 after declining to play matches in India, citing security concerns.
Pakistan was the only nation to publicly support Bangladesh’s request for an alternate venue and strongly criticised the ICC’s decision, accusing the governing body of applying double standards in India’s favour. Naqvi said at the time that the final decision on Pakistan’s involvement in the tournament would rest with the government.
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 is scheduled to be hosted in Sri Lanka, with matches set to begin in February.
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