The India vs Pakistan match at the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 is under fire as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced a boycott of the highly anticipated match scheduled on 15th February in Colombo. In a tweet, the Pakistani government gave permission to the national team to participate in the World Cup but announced a boycott of the India game even after the ICC gave them a neutral venue. Notably, in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, India played against Pakistan at a neutral venue.
PCB Releases Official Statement on IND vs PAK T20 World Cup 2026 Match
On Sunday, February 1, 2026, the Government of Pakistan released the official statement confirming that Pakistan will participate in the T20 World Cup 2026 but will not play the game against India scheduled on 15th February.
Pakistan’s official government account tweeted, "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 whole drama started after the ICC excluded Bangladesh from the World Cup after they refused to travel to India and demanded a neutral venue. According to the reports, PCB was the only board that vocally supported Bangladesh’s demands to play their matches outside India due to the security concerns. However, the ICC rejected their request, and after this, Bangladesh opted out of the World Cup, and the ICC named Scotland as their replacement. And after this, to showcase the support, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi put Pakistan’s participation under doubt for a long time, and on Sunday, they officially announced their participation but boycotted the India game.
India vs Pakistan has always been an exciting clash, and a boycott of this match will cost a lot to the promoters and sponsors as well. ICC also issued a statement after Pakistan announced a boycott of the IND vs PAK match.
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ICC Reacts to Pakistan Government's Decision to Boycott India vs Pakistan Match at T20 World Cup 2026
After the Pakistani government announced the boycott of the India vs Pakistan match, the International Cricket Council (ICC) reacted and issued a statement saying, "The ICC notes the statement that the government of Pakistan has made regarding the decision to instruct its national team to selectively participate in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. While the ICC awaits official communication from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), this position of selective participation is difficult to reconcile with the fundamental premise of a global sporting event where all qualified teams are expected to compete on equal terms per the event schedule."
"While the ICC respects the roles of governments in matters of national policy, this decision is not in the interest of the global game or the welfare of fans worldwide, including millions in Pakistan. The ICC hopes that the PCB will consider the significant and long-term implications for cricket in its own country, as this is likely to impact the global cricket ecosystem, which it is itself a member and beneficiary of.
