New Delhi: The Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif reaffirmed that their cricket team will not play against India in the upcoming Men’s T20 World Cup
2026.The tournament is set to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, and will begin on February 7.
Speaking while addressing the federal cabinet in Islamabad, the Pakistan PM said that they have taken a clear stand regarding the issue and would not play against India because politics should not be involved on the sports field.
“We have taken a very clear stand on the T20 World Cup that we won’t play the match against India because there should be no politics on the sports field. We have taken a very considered stance, and we should completely stand by Bangladesh, and I think this is a very appropriate decision,” said Pakistan PM Shahbaz Sharif.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif Orders Pakistan Cricket Board to NOT play its Match against India in T20 WC 2026. Pak will stand in solidarity with Kanglu brothers. pic.twitter.com/q2UYjxFge8
— Megh Updates 🚨™ (@MeghUpdates) February 5, 2026
India set to face Pakistan at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Sunday, February 15. Following the group-stage clash, the two sides could be up against each other in the final of the tournament as well. Although Pakistan’s stance on the final match remains unclear.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) had issued a statement earlier where the global body expressed concern regarding the implications of Pakistan’s decision to participate selectively in the T20 World Cup and deemed it to be against the principles of fairness, integrity and competitive balance.
Pakistan likely to face sanctions from ICC for boycotting India match
Pakistan’s decision came after the ICC replaced Bangladesh with Scotland for the T20 World Cup. Bangladesh had requested the ICC to shift their matches from India to Sri Lanka, citing security concerns. This comes after the BCCI instructed the IPL franchise, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), to release Mustafizur Rahman from its squad.
The chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Mohsin Naqvi, said that the decision by the ICC was unfair, saying that they would follow the government’s directive regarding their participation in the global tournament.
According to the media reports, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) likely to face serious sanctions from the ICC if they boycott the match against India. Pakistan could face disciplinary measures, restrictions on No-Objection Certificates (NOC) for overseas players participating in the PSL, revenue loss, and loss of hosting rights for ICC tournaments.
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