Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has taken a sharp dig at Pakistan’s decision to boycott its Group A clash against India in the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, calling it an “unnecessary drama to mislead people.” The Pakistan government granted conditional approval for its team to participate in the tournament but barred them from taking the field against India.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“Begani Shadi mei abdullah deewana… Pakistan government has said that their team will participate in the T20 World Cup but will not play against India. There is absolutely no logic to this. This is the same Pakistan government and the same PCB that, after some time, will say that the dispute was actually Bangladesh’s, the ICC imposed the ban, and we were ready to play and resolve the issue. This is nothing but a complete drama being created to mislead people. They are trying to project that we stand with Bangladesh,” Harbhajan said on his YouTube channel.
The ICC confirmed that the T20 World Cup will proceed as scheduled, with Bangladesh’s matches to be held in India, and later announced Scotland as a replacement team after Bangladesh refused to participate under the published schedule.Harbhajan questioned Pakistan’s priorities, adding: “You may say you support Bangladesh, but what have you thought about the people in your own country who want an India-Pakistan match to happen? When the ICC voting took place on Bangladesh’s request, it was rejected by a 14–2 margin. Australia, England, South Africa and several other countries were part of that vote. So why are you unnecessarily picking a fight over this issue, and what exactly do you stand to gain from it?”
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The former off-spinner also highlighted Pakistan’s double standards, referencing revenue-driven matches despite political tensions. “Fair enough, if you don’t want to come, then don’t. India also doesn’t go to your country — fair enough. But this match was at a neutral venue. Some time ago, during the Asia Cup, the match still took place because there was revenue involved. You were not willing to give that up.”Harbhajan concluded with a pointed warning: “It’s possible sanctions were imposed on you, and it’s also possible that in the future you may not get the opportunity to host any ICC tournament. Let’s see whether you actually have the courage to stand by your decision, or whether this was just a shot in the dark.”
