Kamal Ghorui
Pakistan left for Sri Lanka on Monday for the T20 World Cup as they await possible sanctions from the International Cricket Council following their refusal to play India in the tournament. Video footage released by the Pakistan Cricket Board showed players wearing their new World Cup kit as they boarded a bus from a Lahore hotel to the airport.Although India are co-hosting the competition, Pakistan will play all their matches in Sri Lanka — including any knockout fixtures — owing to ongoing political tensions between the two nations.
Pakistan sent shockwaves through the cricketing world on Sunday after the government directed the team to participate in the World Cup but boycott the group-stage clash against India in Colombo on February 15. No explanation was provided in the government’s post on X.The PCB is yet to formally notify the ICC of the decision, according to reports, even as the global body warned there would be repercussions. The ICC said “the position of selective participation is difficult to reconcile with the fundamental premises of a global sporting event.” It further stated that Pakistan’s move was “not in the interest of the global game or the welfare of fans worldwide, including millions in Pakistan.”India and Pakistan are routinely drawn together in ICC events, having not played a bilateral series for 14 years.The T20 World Cup gets underway on Saturday, with Pakistan scheduled to open their campaign against the Netherlands. They will also play a final warm-up match against Ireland in Colombo on Wednesday.Fresh from a 3-0 T20I series sweep over Australia in Lahore on Sunday, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha confirmed the players would adhere to government directives.“It’s not our decision (to boycott the India game), we can’t do anything about it,” Agha said. “We will do whatever our government and the (PCB) chairman say.”PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi has accused the ICC of “double standards” after it declined to relocate Bangladesh’s fixtures to Sri Lanka when the Bangladesh government barred its team from travelling to India due to security concerns. The ICC subsequently removed Bangladesh from the tournament and replaced them with Scotland.Political tensions between India and Pakistan also spilled onto the field last year, when Indian players declined to shake hands with Pakistan during three Asia Cup matches in the UAE, including the final. India later departed without the trophy after refusing to accept it from Naqvi, who also serves as president of the Asian Cricket Council.
