Pakistan has been cleared to play in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, but will not participate in their scheduled match against India on February 15 in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
The Pakistani government announced the decision on Sunday without providing an official reason for the boycott.
The announcement ends weeks of uncertainty over whether Pakistan would even attend the tournament.
Pakistan’s stance hardened after the ICC expelled Bangladesh from the World Cup over security concerns about playing matches in India.
The ICC replaced Bangladesh with Scotland, a decision that sparked widespread criticism across the cricket world.
PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi accused the ICC of applying double standards by removing Bangladesh while favouring India.
Naqvi met with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif before the final decision was made.
Former Pakistan cricketer Kamran Akmal publicly backed the boycott, saying politics had repeatedly damaged cricket’s spirit.
By forfeiting the match, Pakistan will lose two points, potentially affecting their chances of advancing from Group A.
Pakistan will still play matches against the Netherlands, USA and Namibia during the tournament.
All of Pakistan’s games are scheduled in Sri Lanka due to political tensions between India and Pakistan.
The ICC responded by warning that selective participation undermines sporting integrity and fairness.
The governing body urged Pakistan to reconsider the long-term consequences for their own cricket.
India and Pakistan last played bilateral cricket in 2012 and only meet at major tournaments.
Their matches are the most commercially valuable fixtures in world cricket, making the boycott financially significant.
The tournament begins on February 7 and runs for a month.
Cricket fans worldwide will miss a rare opportunity to see stars from both nations compete against each other.
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