The Pakistan government has officially confirmed that the team will boycott the IND vs PAK clash in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 in Colombo. PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi met with Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif before a decision was made on Sunday. Pakistan's decision comes after the ICC kicked out Bangladesh from the tournament for their reluctance to travel to India for matches.
"The Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan grants approval to the Pakistan Cricket Team to participate in the ICC World T20 2026," the government said in a post on X.
"...however, the Pakistan Cricket Team shall not take the field in the match scheduled on 15th February 2026 against India," the statement added.
The decision to boycott the IND vs PAK game in Colombo comes on a day when there is an India vs Pakistan match ongoing in the ICC U19 World Cup 2026. As per local media reports, the government of Pakistan took the decision to show their solidarity towards Bangladesh.
Bangladesh had raised security concerns and requested for a change of venue for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 in India. However, ICC did not agree to that request. Pakistan were the only country to vote in BCB's favour and the country was booted out, with Scotland roped in as replacement.
While Pakistan considered a full boycott of the tournament, they instead settled on not appearing for the IND vs PAK game in Colombo. The clash between the arch-rivals is a huge money churner for the world body, which is currently led by chairman Jay Shah.
ICC are yet to respond to the Pakistan government's official statement. Earlier, reports suggested that the world body could block earning options for the Men in Green, including blocking potential NoCs for foreign players to play in the PSL.
