Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday once again reiterated Pakistan’s decision to boycott its ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 group-stage match against India, stating that the country has taken a clear and carefully considered position on the matter. The high-profile clash is scheduled to be played on February 15 in Sri Lanka.
Addressing the federal cabinet in Islamabad, Shehbaz Sharif said, “We have taken a clear stand regarding the T20 World Cup that we will not play the match against India.” He added that the decision was taken after proper assessment and deliberation, calling it an appropriate move.
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“There should be no politics in sports,” the Prime Minister said, while underlining that the government had carefully evaluated the situation before arriving at its decision. He emphasized that Pakistan’s stance was not impulsive but based on a thorough review.
The Prime Minister’s remarks came after the Pakistan government earlier announced its decision on social media, stating that the Pakistan team “shall not take the field” against India, without providing a detailed explanation. The statement immediately drew attention from the global cricketing community due to the significance of the India-Pakistan fixture in ICC tournaments.
Following the government’s announcement, the International Cricket Council issued a strongly worded statement expressing concern over the idea of selective participation. The ICC said such a position was difficult to reconcile with the fundamental premise of a global sporting event, where all qualified teams are expected to compete according to the published schedule.
In its release, the ICC said it had taken note of the Government of Pakistan’s statement instructing its national team to selectively participate in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. While awaiting official communication from the Pakistan Cricket Board, the ICC stressed that selective participation undermines the spirit, integrity, and fairness of international competitions.
The ICC added that its tournaments are built on sporting integrity, competitiveness, consistency, and fairness, and warned that such decisions are not in the interest of the global game or the welfare of fans worldwide, including millions in Pakistan. The governing body also urged the PCB to consider the long-term implications for cricket in the country and the wider global cricket ecosystem.
The ICC reiterated that its priority remains the successful delivery of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 and said it expects all member boards, including the PCB, to work towards a mutually acceptable resolution that protects the interests of all stakeholders.
Last month, PCB chairman and Pakistan’s interior minister Mohsin Naqvi met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to brief him on developments surrounding the ICC’s stance. The meeting followed a separate controversy involving Bangladesh, which had earlier refused to send its team to India citing security concerns.
The ICC subsequently announced that Scotland would replace Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup 2026 after the Bangladesh Cricket Board declined to participate as per the published schedule. The decision came after the ICC rejected Bangladesh’s request to move its matches from India to Sri Lanka, citing the absence of any credible or verifiable security threat.
Scotland, currently ranked 14th in T20Is, became the highest-ranked team not originally qualified for the tournament to be included. They are ranked above several teams already in the competition, including Namibia, UAE, Nepal, USA, Canada, Oman, and Italy.
On the cricketing front, Pakistan’s record against India in ICC T20 World Cups has been heavily one-sided. The two sides have met eight times in the tournament’s history, with India winning seven matches and Pakistan managing just one victory.
In last year’s Asia Cup, Pakistan were clean-swept by India in a series of matches, including the final. Young Indian batters Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma dominated Pakistan’s bowling attack throughout the contest, with Tilak Varma’s unbeaten 69 in the final underlining his composure in high-pressure games.
Pakistan have already announced their squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, which will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8. Pakistan are placed in Group A alongside India, Namibia, the Netherlands, and the United States of America.
India’s squad for the tournament is led by Suryakumar Yadav and includes Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, and Rinku Singh.
Pakistan’s squad features Salman Ali Agha as captain, along with 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.
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