Pakistan has confirmed it will take part in the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, but will boycott its scheduled match against arch-rivals India. The decision was announced by the Pakistan government in the aftermath of the ICC’s controversial exclusion of Bangladesh from the tournament.
Bangladesh had earlier withdrawn from the World Cup, citing security concerns over travelling to India. Following the ICC’s decision to remove Bangladesh, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) weighed its response, eventually leading to a government directive regarding Pakistan’s participation and the India fixture in particular.
In an official post on X (formerly Twitter), the Pakistan government stated:
“The Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan grants approval to the Pakistan Cricket Team to participate in the ICC World T20 2026. However, the Pakistan Cricket Team shall not take the field in the match scheduled on 15th February 2026 against India.”
The announcement follows sharp criticism from PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who accused the ICC of double standards after Bangladesh’s removal. Naqvi said Bangladesh had been treated unfairly and stressed that Pakistan’s participation would depend entirely on the government’s decision.
After days of discussions and speculation, Pakistan’s involvement in the tournament was formally confirmed on Sunday. However, the decision to boycott the India match has reignited debate across the cricketing world.
The controversy traces back to the removal of Bangladesh left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman from IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders, reportedly following instructions from the Indian board. The following day, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) officially informed the ICC that the national team would not travel to India due to security concerns and requested that their matches be shifted outside the country.
Two rounds of meetings between the ICC and BCB failed to resolve the issue. While the BCB repeatedly highlighted safety concerns, the ICC maintained that no specific threat existed for any participating team.
The matter was eventually put to a vote at an ICC board meeting, where Bangladesh lost 14–2. Reports from Cricbuzz indicated that Pakistan was the only member nation to vote in Bangladesh’s favour.
The 20-team T20 World Cup is scheduled to be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka, starting on 7 February. Under an existing agreement with the ICC and the Indian board, Pakistan will play all of its matches in Sri Lanka. Their campaign is set to begin against the Netherlands.
