Kamal Ghorui
New Delhi: Pakistan will not take the field against India at the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, the Government of Pakistan confirmed in an official statement on X.While granting permission for the national team to travel to Sri Lanka for the tournament, the government said Pakistan would boycott the group-stage match against India scheduled for February 15 2026, without specifying the reason for the decision.
Both sides were set to clash in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in a Group A fixture.“The government of The Islamic Republic of Pakistan grants approval to the Pakistan Cricket Team to participate in the World T20 2026, however the Pakistan Cricket Team shall not take field in the match scheduled on 15 February 2026 against India,” read the statement.TimesofIndia.com understands that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has yet to inform the International Cricket Council (ICC) of its decision not to play the February 15 fixture.Although the Pakistan government has not issued an official explanation for this reason, the TimesofIndia.com believes it is linked to the recent terrorist attack in Balochistan. Mohsin Naqvi, Pakistan’s Interior Minister, who also serves as PCB chairman, has publicly attributed the attack to India. According to ISPR statements, counter-terror operations resulted in the deaths of 92 terrorists, while 18 civilians and 15 security personnel were killed in the violence.However, pakistan’s participation in the T20 World Cup came under a cloud after PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi raised doubts following Bangladesh’s removal from the tournament on January 24 due to security concerns in India.Pakistan was the only nation to support Bangladesh’s request for a neutral venue and accused the ICC of applying double standards in India’s favour. Naqvi had maintained that the final decision would be taken by the government.Two days later, after meeting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Naqvi said he had been advised to keep all options open, with a call expected by “Friday or next Monday.”
