New DelhiPakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has publicly stated that the Men in Green will not play in the scheduled Group A match, which has increased uncertainty surrounding the highly anticipated India-Pakistan match at the T20 World Cup 2026. The two teams are scheduled to play on February 15 in Colombo, but according to Sharif, Pakistan has made the decision not to play.
Speaking to Pakistan's cabinet on Wednesday, Sharif emphasized that sport should be kept apart from political disputes and stated that the decision was based on principles rather than cricket considerations. He described the call as purposeful and justified, adding that Pakistan's position is tied to its position alongside Bangladesh.
"We have made it very clear that we will not play India in the T20 World Cup because Pakistan stated that this is a sport, not a political arena. Politics have no place on the sports field. Speaking to the Pakistani cabinet on Wednesday, Shehbaz stated, "We have taken a very considered stance, and we should completely stand by Bangladesh, and I think this is a very appropriate decision."
The Prime Minister's comments come after rumors that the Pakistan Cricket Board has not yet formally informed the International Cricket Council of the boycott decision. These reports claim that the ICC is in a holding pattern and cannot proceed procedurally due to the lack of an official notification.
According to sources who previously told NDTV, Pakistan will not formally email the ICC about boycotting the T20 World Cup match against India.
Team India and the ICC will adhere to standard protocol.In theory, the match is still scheduled for the tournament even though the PCB hasn't confirmed it in writing. Because of this, it is believed that the ICC is awaiting formal correspondence before deciding on the next course of action, which may cause the situation to worsen in the days preceding the game.
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India's plans have not changed in the interim. The Indian squad is expected to arrive in Colombo on time and complete all match-day procedures, including the press conference held the night before the game. On February 15, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav is anticipated to attend the toss.
Match officials will adhere to standard ICC procedures if Pakistan does not show up for the toss. In that case, India would receive two points without a ball being bowled, giving them a landslide victory. The forfeiture would be essentially confirmed if Salman Ali Agha, the captain of Pakistan, did not show up for the toss.