The International Cricket Council (ICC) has expressed serious concern over Pakistan’s decision to boycott its group-stage match against India in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, calling the move incompatible with the fundamental principles of a global sporting event.
The high-voltage India–Pakistan clash is scheduled for February 15. Hours before the ICC’s response, the Pakistan government announced that the national team would not take the field for the match, without citing any reason for the decision.
In a statement, the ICC said it had taken note of the position communicated by the Government of Pakistan instructing its national team to selectively participate in the tournament. While the global body said it was awaiting official communication from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), it underlined that selective participation was difficult to reconcile with the expectation that all qualified teams compete on equal terms under the published schedule.
The ICC said its tournaments are built on the principles of sporting integrity, competitiveness, consistency and fairness, and warned that selective participation undermines the spirit and sanctity of international competitions.
While acknowledging the role of governments in matters of national policy, the ICC said the decision was not in the interest of the global game or cricket fans worldwide, including millions in Pakistan. It cautioned that such actions could have long-term consequences for Pakistan cricket and impact the wider global cricket ecosystem.
Reiterating that the successful delivery of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup remains its top priority, the ICC said this responsibility rests with all member boards, including the PCB. It added that it expects the PCB to explore a mutually acceptable resolution that safeguards the interests of all stakeholders.
Pakistan are placed in Group A alongside India, Namibia, the Netherlands and the United States. The team had announced its squad for the tournament last month, which is scheduled to be hosted by India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8.
The development comes against the backdrop of recent ICC decisions involving tournament participation. Last month, Scotland were named as a replacement team after Bangladesh declined to take part in the World Cup as per the published schedule, citing security concerns. Following an extensive review process, including independent security assessments and consultations, the ICC concluded that there was no credible or verifiable threat and decided against altering the schedule.
With no confirmation of participation received within the stipulated deadline, the ICC proceeded to identify a replacement in line with its governance and qualification processes, naming Scotland as the highest-ranked eligible team.
On the sporting front, India enter the tournament in strong form after securing a 4–1 series win against New Zealand in a five-match T20I series. The defending champions will open their World Cup campaign against the United States on February 7, followed by matches against other Group A opponents.
Historically, Pakistan have struggled against India in ICC T20 World Cups, having won just one of their eight encounters so far.
India Squad – ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026
Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh.
Pakistan Squad – ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026
Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan, Usman Tariq.
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