Pakistan’s government has agreed to send their team for the World Cup starting from February 7 on cricket grounds in India and Sri Lanka, but has withdrawn from the match against India scheduled for February 15.
SNPNEWS.IN Update (Gurmail Kamboj): Pakistan’s government has announced a boycott of their group stage match against India in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. This match was scheduled for February 15, 2026, at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo (Sri Lanka). Pakistan took this decision in support of the Bangladesh Cricket Board and its players.
What is the full matter: During the student movement in Bangladesh in July 2024, amid violence, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and sought refuge in India after leaving the country. Since August 2024, Muhammad Yunus (interim Prime Minister) has been handling the government. During this period, relations between India and Bangladesh have not been cordial. The biggest reason is former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina taking refuge in India, and the Indian government refusing to hand her over to Bangladesh (despite Bangladesh’s Supreme Court sentencing the former Prime Minister to death), along with atrocities against minorities (Hindus) in Bangladesh in recent times.
The deteriorating political relations between the two countries have also affected cricket. It began after IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) bought Bangladesh’s fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman for IPL 2026 for ₹9.20 crore, leading to large-scale protests in India by political and religious groups (linked to BJP). The reason cited was reports of attacks and atrocities on Hindus in Bangladesh. Due to this backlash, the BCCI directed KKR to release Mustafizur. After this action, anger increased in Bangladesh, and they banned the broadcast of IPL.
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The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and government refused to play all their group matches in India for the T20 World Cup 2026 due to security fears. They demanded from the ICC that their matches be shifted to Sri Lanka (like Pakistan’s matches on neutral venues). The ICC rejected this demand because their security assessment found no major threat, and there was little time left. The Bangladesh Cricket Board still did not agree and decided to withdraw from the tournament.
Pak voted in favor of Bangladesh in the ICC board meeting and accused the ICC of being biased toward India. After Bangladesh’s exit, Pakistan called it “double standards.” The ICC replaced Bangladesh with Scotland. Following this, the PCB Chairman left the decision on whether the Pak team would play the World Cup or boycott it to the Pakistan government.
Late last night, in the decision taken by the Pakistan government, it was stated that their team will participate in the World Cup but will boycott the group match against India scheduled for February 15. After this, politics has intensified further.
After Pakistan’s decision, the ICC has expressed concern and said that they hope the PCB will find a mutually agreed solution that protects the interests of all stakeholders. The ICC has warned that this decision could have long-term negative consequences for cricket in Pakistan and the global cricket ecosystem. If Pakistan does not play the match, it will be considered a forfeit, and India will get 2 points. In addition, Pakistan may face financial penalties, revenue cuts, and other punishments. If the India-Pakistan match does not happen, the ICC could suffer a loss of up to $200-300 million.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has not yet issued any official statement. The BCCI Secretary said that they have not received any official information about the boycott from Pakistan and are waiting for official information from the ICC.