The Government of Pakistan might have given its verdict not to allow the senior men's team to participate in the T20 World Cup 2026 fixture against India on February 15 in Colombo, but the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has yet to reach out to the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding the same. However, according to a report in RevSportz, the PCB, helmed by Mohsin Naqvi, has been trying its best behind the scenes to gain support, but to no avail.
The last couple of days have seen the PCB reaching out to other cricket boards to secure their support for the latest T20 World Cup flashpoint, only to be shut down.
Pakistan's decision not to play India was taken after Bangladesh were shown the door from the 20-team competition for refusing to travel to India due to security concerns. The ICC did not heed the Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB) request, as 14 ICC board members voted in favour of maintaining the sanctity of the original schedule. Only two boards voted in favour of the schedule and venue change - Bangladesh and Pakistan.
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According to RevSportz, when the PCB made contact with the other boards, they were quickly reminded about how they have no locus standi in the Bangladesh matter, as the issue was between the ICC and the BCB. Moreover, the PCB received a reality check after the remaining boards highlighted the inconsistency in Pakistan's stance, as they recently played three matches against India in the Asia Cup 2025 edition.
{{/usCountry}}According to RevSportz, when the PCB made contact with the other boards, they were quickly reminded about how they have no locus standi in the Bangladesh matter, as the issue was between the ICC and the BCB. Moreover, the PCB received a reality check after the remaining boards highlighted the inconsistency in Pakistan's stance, as they recently played three matches against India in the Asia Cup 2025 edition.
{{/usCountry}}It is worth stating that the Government of Pakistan announced the boycott of the India match on the same day as the U19 World Cup fixture between India and Pakistan in Bulawayo. No official from the PCB has come forward since Sunday to explain why such a call was taken or what they plan to do next.
What did the ICC say?
The PCB might not have reached out to the ICC yet, but the latter did issue a statement late Sunday night. A reaction was issued to the Government of Pakistan's tweet. The apex body urged Pakistan to reconsider its decision, as it could have “long-term implications” for its cricket going forward.
The ICC also reminded Pakistan that the latest decision is not in the game's global interest, and that no team can be allowed to engage in selective participation in any event.
“This position of selective participation is difficult to reconcile with the fundamental premise of a global sporting event where all qualified teams are expected to compete on equal terms per the event schedule,” the ICC's statement read.
“ICC tournaments are built on sporting integrity, competitiveness, consistency and fairness, and selective participation undermines the spirit and sanctity of the competitions,” it added.