Pakistan remained firm on skipping their T20 World Cup 2026 match against India on February 15 in Colombo to show their support to Bangladesh, who were eliminated by the ICC due to the unwarranted demand of playing their matches only in Sri Lanka.
Pakistan sticks to the India match boycott plan in the T20 World Cup 2026
Even on February 4, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed that they will not play the T20 World Cup 2026 match against India. Sharif said in Islamabad: “We have taken a clear stand regarding the T20 World Cup that we will not play the match against India.”
If this happens, India will get two points automatically, and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) could face serious fines from the International Cricket Council (ICC).
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PCB looks at ‘Force Majeure’ escape route
However, Pakistan is reportedly planning to use a “force majeure” clause, which refers to “unforeseeable circumstances that can prevent a contract from being fulfilled,” to avoid heavy penalties from the ICC.
This clause allows a team to back out if something sudden and unexpected makes it impossible to play. As reported by The Indian Express, the PCB might point to a social media post by the Pakistan government calling for a boycott and claim they were told to follow it.
Sources claimed that the PCB may argue that this is an “extraordinary situation” and their last option is to boycott the India match at the upcoming T20 World Cup 2025 in Colombo.
BCCI rejects Pakistan’s reasoning
However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) considers Pakistan’s argument weak, as they had no problem playing India in the Under-19 World Cup on the same day their government called for a boycott of the senior T20 match.
A BCCI source was quoted as saying by The Indian Express, “When Pakistan had no problem playing India in the Under-19 World Cup on the same day their government put out the post to boycott the T20 World Cup game, this wouldn’t cut ice.”
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The BCCI also highlights the connection between the PCB and Pakistan, which is another case of politics interfering with cricket. The official further mentioned, “Besides, when it comes to the Pakistan Cricket Board and the Pakistan government, there is not much difference. Pakistan prime minister is the patron-in-chief of PCB, and the board’s chief is a minister. The Pakistan and Bangladesh boards are mixing politics with cricket.”
Why Pakistan’s boycott raises questions
Last year, the BCCI and PCB agreed on playing their matches at neutral venues, so skipping the India-Pakistan match is considered a deliberate move.
The official added, “Despite the Indian government’s repeated statements ensuring security to their team, the Bangladesh team didn’t travel to India. Now, Pakistan too is being unreasonable. There has been an understanding that India and Pakistan will play at a neutral venue in ICC events. Boycotting the game is just mischief.”
