The Pakistan cricket team left for Sri Lanka for the T20 World Cup 2026 despite their government’s decision to boycott the group stage clash against India, scheduled to take place on February 15 at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
The Men in Green left Lahore for Colombo for the tournament after completing their T20I series against Australia, which they won 3-0. Pakistan will be playing all of their matches in Colombo and have a warm-up fixture lined up against Ireland at the Sinhalese Sports Club.
Pakistan shock cricketing world with India boycott decision
Meanwhile, Pakistan have made a bold call when the country’s government announced the boycott of the group stage clash against India. In a social media post, the Pakistani government posted, “”The Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan grants approval to the Pakistan Cricket Team to participate in the ICC World T20 2026; however, the Pakistan Cricket Team shall not take the field in the match scheduled on 15th February 2026 against India.”
The government did not provide a reason for the boycott and also did not clarify what they would do if India and Pakistan face each other in the semifinals or the final.
Pak skipper Salman Ali Agha reacts to boycott
Meanwhile, Pakistan T20 captain Salman Ali Agha reacted to the government’s decision to boycott the India game. Speaking to the media before departing for Colombo. “We are players contracted to the Board and whatever decision our government and Board have taken, all the players are on board with it,” he said.
Salman said that the team has three league stage matches, and the T20 World Cup was not just about playing against India. “We have three other group matches so we will try to win all of them and qualify for next round,” he said.
ICC can take actions against Pakistan
As per reports, the ICC has stated that it has not received an official word from the PCB over their refusal for the India match. However, the ICC can take actions against the PCB when it receives an official email. This can include sanctions on the PCB, and they are set to have to get a cut into their revenue from the tournament.
A report in PTI stated that the PCB could be ousted from the tournament, could face revenue sanctions, the ICC could deny NOC to active overseas players for the Pakistan Super League and also impact on the WTC points. “The PCB hasn’t yet officially informed ICC but since there has been an official announcement, the ICC is expected to take some stringent actions. The ICC board will be meeting tomorrow (Monday) virtually and decide whether Pakistan should be allowed to play in the tournament. In case they are allowed, there could be some strict punishment for PCB,” an ICC Board source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
So what are the possible sanctions expected against the PCB? “Since they are in violation of a binding contract, the ICC’s member boards could refuse to travel to Pakistan for the bilateral series. In case they play the bilateral series, there is every chance that the results will not impact the ICC rankings across formats. There remains a chance of Pakistan not being awarded any WTC points,” the source added.
The ICC member boards have also signed agreements with the ICC, which would surely attract sanctions on the PCB. Also, the BCCI and the PCB had agreed to play their ICC matches at neutral venues, an agreement which the PCB will now breach, calling for another sanction.
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