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Pakistan clears T20 World Cup participation but bars match against India

By The South Asia Times

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan has allowed its cricket team to participate in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 but has decided that it will not play its scheduled group-stage match against India, the government said on Sunday.

In a statement posted on the government’s official X account, authorities said the Pakistan team would take part in the tournament but would not take the field for the Feb. 15 match against its arch-rivals 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 15 February 2026 against India,” the statement said.

The decision follows high-level consultations after uncertainty emerged over Pakistan’s participation in the tournament amid broader disputes involving the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Earlier this week, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to discuss the issue, as calls for a potential boycott intensified following Bangladesh’s withdrawal from the competition.

After the meeting, Naqvi said he had briefed the prime minister on developments related to the ICC and that a final decision would be announced after Sharif’s return to the country.

The controversy was triggered by the ICC’s decision to replace Bangladesh with Scotland on Jan. 24 after Dhaka declined to tour India, citing security concerns stemming from strained political relations between the two neighbours.

Bangladesh had requested that its matches be shifted to co-host Sri Lanka, but the ICC rejected the proposal, saying changes were not feasible so close to the tournament’s Feb. 7 start date.

Naqvi had earlier criticised the ICC’s handling of the matter, saying Bangladesh was treated unfairly and should have been allowed to compete. At the time, he said Pakistan’s own participation remained undecided pending government approval.

Pakistan and India have not played bilateral cricket for over a decade due to political tensions, with encounters limited to ICC tournaments and Asian Cricket Council events.