“Sports Desk: Finally, Pakistan has managed to ‘kill the snake without breaking the stick!’ That’s Pakistan for you! They always understand their own interests best. Meanwhile, Bangladesh has left its fans disappointed by not even participating in the World Cup.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) officially withdrew from the 2026 T20 World Cup on January 24, 2026, after the ICC rejected its request to move group-stage matches out of India due to security concerns.
Regardless, the Pakistan cricket team will participate in the 2026 T20 World Cup. However, they will boycott the match against arch-rivals India. This decision was announced on Sunday night through simultaneous posts on the Pakistan government’s official ‘X’ handle and Facebook page.
Pakistan government said the team has been cleared to travel to Sri Lanka for the tournament, “but the Pakistan cricket team shall not take the field in the match scheduled on 15 February 2026 against India.”The announcement did not provide a reason for the selective boycott, leaving the cricketing world to speculate on the decision.
The extent of Pakistan’s involvement had been uncertain following Bangladesh’s removal from the tournament on Jan 24 after refusing to play in India, citing security concerns.Pakistan had supported Bangladesh’s request for an alternative venue and criticised the ICC for perceived double standards favouring India.PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi told ESPNcricinfo the government would make the final decision on Pakistan’s participation.
n subsequent discussions with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Naqvi said all options remained open and a decision would come by the following Friday or Monday.Speculation intensified that Pakistan might participate fully in the tournament but abstain from facing India after the PCB announced a World Cup squad within the ICC deadline.
A brief, now-deleted statement appeared to confirm Pakistan would travel to Sri Lanka.Pakistan, drawn in Group A alongside India, Namibia, Netherlands, and the USA, will play all matches in Sri Lanka, co-host of the tournament.Their first game is against the Netherlands on Feb 7, followed by a match against the USA on Feb 10, and Namibia on Feb 18.By boycotting the fixture against India, Pakistan will forfeit the two points from that match.
