Just days before the start of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, a major diplomatic and sporting crisis has erupted. The Pakistan government on Sunday granted the national team permission to participate in the tournament in Sri Lanka but issued a direct order: Pakistan shall not take the field against India in their scheduled Group A fixture on February 15 in Colombo.
The announcement came via the official "X" (formerly Twitter) account of the Government of Pakistan. While the team is cleared to fly to Sri Lanka for their opening matches, the match against their arch-rivals is strictly off-limits.
The move appears to be a show of solidarity with Bangladesh, who were replaced by Scotland in the tournament after refusing to travel to India for their matches, citing security concerns.
Chairman Mohsin Naqvi had previously accused the ICC of "double standards" regarding venue shifts.
We have to do what our government and the chairman decide"
Captain Salman Ali Agha
The ICC responded within hours, emphasizing that global events rely on all teams competing on equal terms.
Selective participation undermines the spirit and sanctity of the competitions. The ICC hopes that the PCB will consider the significant and long-term implications for cricket in its own country, as this is likely to impact the global cricket ecosystem.
ICC
Suspension of bilateral series participation.
Bans on international players participating in the Pakistan Super League.
Loss of revenue sharing from the tournament.
If Pakistan proceeds with the boycott of the February 15 fixture, the consequences are mathematically and financially severe:
The ICC has previously seen teams refuse to play in specific countries based on government orders, though usually citing security rather than selective policy.
1996: Australia and West Indies refused to play in Sri Lanka (Security).
2003: England boycotted Zimbabwe (Political tensions); New Zealand boycotted Kenya (Security).
2009: Zimbabwe declined to play in England (Diplomatic differences).
In most of these cases, points were awarded to the opposition, but no further sanctions were imposed- a trend the ICC seems determined to break in 2026.
