Pakistan will boycott the Twenty20 World Cup match against India on February 15, the Pakistani government said on Sunday while approving the team’s participation in the tournament.
“The government… grants approval to the Pakistan cricket team to participate in the World T20, but the Pakistan cricket team will not take the field in the match against India,” the message on the government’s X account said.
Pakistan will play their Group A matches in Sri Lanka, in line with their policy of not touring India due to geopolitical tensions. Bilateral cricket remains suspended between the neighbors, who were embroiled in a military conflict that almost turned into a full-fledged war last year.
Their fraught political relationships prompted the ruling International Cricket Council to make an arrangement that allowed them to play at a neutral venue when their neighbor hosted a global tournament.
The 2009 champions had earlier announced their squad for the 20-team tournament due to start on February 7, with their continued participation subject to government approval.
Their decision to boycott the match against India is a serious blow to the tournament as a clash between India and Pakistan remains cricket’s biggest blockbuster.
This is not the first example of political tensions affecting the tournament. Bangladesh has been replaced by Scotland in the global showpiece after their refusal to travel to India due to security reasons.
The latest setback is a continuation of the sour relations between India and Pakistan, which manifested themselves during the Asia Cup in Dubai last year. India defeated Pakistan three times in the tournament, including in the September 28 final, but refused to shake hands with their opponents and refused to accept the trophy from Asian Cricket Council chief Mohsin Naqvi, who happens to be Pakistan’s interior minister.
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