Pakistan will participate in the 2026 T20 World Cup, but will not play the group match against India on February 15 in Colombo. The decision has been confirmed by the Pakistani government and is described as a political protest against the ICC.
The boycott follows the ICC’s recent decision on Bangladesh. The governing body rejected Bangladesh’s request to move their matches out of India, following which Bangladesh were removed from the tournament and replaced by Scotland.
Pakistan had supported Bangladesh during the dispute, especially around the IPL-related Mustafizur Rahman issue. The ICC’s refusal to accommodate Bangladesh appears to have been the reason for Pakistan’s tough stance.
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has criticized Pakistan’s late withdrawal from the match against India. He said withdrawing so close to the tournament poses serious problems and could set a dangerous example for future events.
Gavaskar emphasized that pulling out at the last minute is very different from calling well in advance. He said the ICC should intervene to prevent teams from considering similar boycotts later.
“Certainly, I think if you pull out at the last minute, that’s a problem,” Gavaskar told India Today. He added that action is needed to ensure no team repeats this in the future.
Gavaskar also suggested that the ICC could explore legal options against Pakistan. He said it was unlikely the governing body would make this decision lightly given the scale of the disruption it would cause.
“The ICC is likely to take legal action against Pakistan for refusing to play India,” he said, adding that the final outcome remains uncertain.
Pakistan has been placed in Group A alongside India, Namibia, the US and the Netherlands. Even without the match against India, they are expected to play their remaining group matches as per schedule.
The timing of the announcement was striking. It came on the same day that India Under-19 defeated Pakistan Under-19 by 58 runs in a Super Six match of the U19 World Cup in Bulawayo.
The situation highlights the growing tension between cricket administration and politics. Pakistan sees the issue as unequal treatment by the ICC, while voices like Gavaskar warn that last-minute withdrawals threaten the stability of global tournaments.
As the World Cup approaches, attention now turns to how the ICC responds and whether it takes action to prevent similar deadlocks in the future.
#Sunil #Gavaskar #slams #ICC #Pakistan #announces #boycott #India #T20 #World #Cup