CHENNAI: The Pakistan government on Sunday announced that they will be boycotting the T20 World Cup match against India to be played in Colombo on February 15.
Sharing a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the government of Pakistan said that the cricket team has been given permission to take part in the World Cup; however, they shall not take the field against India.
"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 posted on social media.
This comes on the back of ICC replacing Bangladesh with Scotland after they refused to travel to India, citing security reasons.
This decision puts an end to the speculation after their chair, Mohsin Naqvi, said that the government will decide on the team's participation in the tournament in the wake of Bangladesh's ouster from the tournament.
Interestingly, the announcement came even as the India and Pakistan U19 teams were on the field, playing against each other in the Junior World Cup on Sunday.
Both PCB and BCCI have come to an agreement to play on neutral venues after India refused to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy in 2025. It remains to be seen how the ICC reacts as the clash between two subcontinental rivals carries significant weightage in global revenue. The Pakistan Cricket Board have to provide a reason for not taking the field as well.
More to follow...