Even before the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 gets underway, a major development has emerged from Pakistan. The Pakistan government has announced that while the national team will take part in the tournament, it will not play the scheduled group-stage match against India on February 15 in Colombo.
The T20 World Cup is set to begin on February 7 and will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka. Pakistan will, however, play all its matches in Sri Lanka.
Reacting to the announcement, Shivsena UBT Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi shared her views on social media platform X, where she criticised Pakistan’s decision and called on the ICC to take action.
The Pakistan government also confirmed the decision through its official X handle, stating that the team has been cleared to participate in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 but will not face India. Earlier, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi had alleged bias by the ICC and claimed that the body was under the influence of the BCCI.
Sources said the PCB has not yet formally conveyed its decision to the ICC. Any action by the ICC is expected only after the board submits its official position. The announcement followed a high-level meeting between Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi.
Previously, the PCB had indicated that its final stand on the matter would be taken by late January or early February. Pakistan’s position reportedly came under review after the ICC decided to include Scotland instead of Bangladesh in the tournament last month, a move that later saw Bangladesh decline a tour of India.
