Former India cricketers S Sreesanth and Umesh Yadav, as well as ex-England spinner Monty Panesar, feel a U-turn is imminent from Pakistan after their call to boycott the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, group stage game against India in Colombo on February 15.
Speaking exclusively on CNN News18‘s show ‘Stump Mic’, the cricketers-turned-pundits feel Pakistan will eventually play India.
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#IndiaVsUSA | ‘Pakistan will play India’: PCB expected to make dramatic boycott U-turn?
“Abhi statement aega that GAME COMES FIRST”@sreesanth36 @montypanesar @y_umesh and Yuvraj Dua discuss #KingsOfCricket #T20WorldCup2026 #T20WC | @AnchorAnandN pic.twitter.com/raEhRDI6VG
— News18 (@CNNnews18) February 7, 2026
“See, dialog is underway and things have sort of gone out of our
hands. A lot of posturing about not playing but if Pakistan would have lost today’s game (against Netherlands) and they maintain that will not play against India, it would have meant more trouble for them. May they don’t even qualify (more Super 4 stage),” Umesh Yadav said.
“U-turn will come. Time is ripe now,” Monty Panersar added.
“The whole of Pakistan cricket is worth about 600 crore. If they don’t play this game, the fine is something like 200-300 crore. From where will they get the money?” S Sreesanth asked in jest.
ICC-PCB Discuss After ‘Force Majeure’ Explanation!
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has requested the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to clarify its use of the ‘Force Majeure’ clause after Pakistan indicated its unwillingness to play the scheduled T20 World Cup match against India. The PCB stated that the decision was based on directives from the Pakistani government, which prohibited the team from participating in the February 15 fixture in Colombo.
Ongoing discussions between the two bodies have raised hopes that the high-profile contest might still take place. An ICC director confirmed the commencement of talks and expressed optimism that a resolution would be found, enabling the match to proceed as scheduled.
The ICC has questioned Pakistan’s decision to withdraw from just one game while continuing to participate in the rest of the tournament. Officials have also sought details on the efforts made by the PCB to resolve the issue before opting to skip the match.
Reports suggest that the ICC has asked the PCB to provide evidence of attempts to find alternatives or seek exemptions before refusing participation. The global body has also outlined potential sporting and commercial repercussions if the clause is wrongly invoked, including financial penalties and disciplinary action.
(With inputs from Agencies)
