Pakistan fear financial loss and isolation, book tickets for Colombo after boycott and withdrawal drama: Report

Pakistan's potential boycott of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 faces logistical realities, as flight tickets to Colombo have reportedly been booked.

Pakistan’s boycott rhetoric around the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 has collided with a far more practical detail: a report claims that flight tickets have already been booked for the team to travel to Colombo, keeping the tournament plan ready even as the PCB weighs its official line.

Pakistan's Cricket Board Chairman Mohsin Naqvi (togestures while speaking with Sri Lanka's players. (AFP)

Telecom Asia Sport reported that Pakistan’s squad, led by Salman Ali Agha, is slated to fly to Colombo alongside Australia, a sign that logistical preparation is underway despite the public talk of ‘supporting Bangladesh’. The report added that senior voices around the board have advised against any boycott, arguing that pulling out would bring significant financial damage and leave Pakistan isolated in global cricket.

The controversy stems from Bangladesh’s decision to step away from the tournament after it sought to move its matches away from India to Sri Lanka, citing security concerns. That request was rejected in an ICC members’ vote, reported as 14-2, after which Bangladesh were removed from the line-up and replaced with Scotland.

PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi had earlier floated the idea of a boycott ‘in support of Bangladesh”, but the report suggests the internal mood has shifted towards participation. Naqvi is understood to have discussed the issue with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who backed the symbolic support for Bangladesh but did not favour an actual boycott, mindful of the financial repercussions of missing a major ICC event. The report further claimed Naqvi also took advice from President Asif Zardari, the military and former PCB chiefs Najam Sethi and Ramiz Raja, with the overall message being to travel for the World Cup rather than stage a walkout.

A key line in the report is that Pakistan have also been counselled not to refuse the group-stage match against India either, even if the board continues to strike a tough one in public. In other words, the messaging may remain political, but the cricketing decision is being nudged towards normal participation.

For now, there has been no formal announcement from the PCB confirming travel plans or a final position on the tournament. Ticket bookings, even if accurate, do not automatically mean a definitive go-ahead - but they underline how difficult a late pull-out would be once schedules, hotel blocks, and broadcast commitments begin locking in.

A final call is expected either on Friday, January 30, 2026, or Monday, February 20, 2026. Pakistan, meanwhile, begin a three-match T20I series against Australia from Thursday, a timeline that keeps the decision on a tight clock as the World Cup build-up accelerates.