Following this, chaos ensued within the cricket fraternity, with the International Cricket Council (ICC) reportedly set to hold an emergency meeting within 48 hours to discuss Pakistan’s selective entry. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has refused to comment on the reports until the ICC takes action. Denmark’s Kaneria shared his thoughts on the ongoing rift via his YouTube channel.
‘This decision was completely unexpected’ – Danish Kaneria
Denmark’s Kaneria said: “This decision was completely unexpected. No one expected that Pakistan would refuse to play India in the World Cup. It is difficult to understand why this boycott took place. Earlier, Pakistan had requested not to play in India when the T20 World Cup was scheduled to be played in India and Sri Lanka. That was understandable. The ICC then arranged all Pakistan’s matches in Sri Lanka, and even the India-Pakistan match was to be played in Sri Lanka, not India.”
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“So the logic behind boycotting doesn’t make any sense now. People will feel that Pakistan is scared of facing India, and that’s why they refuse to play. In recent years, Pakistan has lost to India several times, and this decision by the Pakistani government could ultimately hurt their own cricket more than anyone else.”
The Danish Kaneria believes that politics should be ignored
Denmark’s Kaneria added: “The rivalry that once existed between India and Pakistan is no longer the same. That rivalry has been fading for years. Even during the last World Cup, the hype was nowhere near what it used to be. The reason is simple: Pakistan no longer plays the kind of cricket that India plays.
“Keep politics away from cricket. Bringing politics into the game only harms players, fans and the next generation. This will harm Pakistani cricket and the young generation in the long run. In Pakistan, cricket is the only major sport that truly unites people. Bringing politics into cricket like this will harm the future of the game there.”
Pakistani cricket is in danger
The India-Pakistan match generates double the revenue of any other game in the major ICC tournament. Sanctions could follow if Pakistan does not adhere to the match rules and boycotts the game. They may be left out, and major teams may not travel to play bilateral series against them. World Test Championship points can also be added.
The PCB is yet to make an official statement to the ICC on the Pakistani government’s announcement. The ICC said in a press release that it has noted the Pakistan government’s statement on the decision to direct its national team to participate selectively in the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Also read: Rajeev Shukla joins forces with ICC to crush Pakistan’s Mohsin Naqvi amid T20 World Cup drama
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