Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha has made it clear that the decision to boycott the high-voltage T20 World Cup 2026 clash against India was not taken by the players, but by the government and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
Pakistan were scheduled to face India on February 15 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. However, the Pakistan government confirmed that while the national team has been granted permission to participate in the tournament, it will not take the field for the match against India. The announcement was made through an official government post on X.
“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 team shall not take the field in the match scheduled on 15 February 2026 against India,” the statement read.
“We can’t do anything about it”
Reacting to the development, Agha said the call was completely out of the players’ hands.
“We are going to the World Cup. Humaara decision nahi hai, hum kuch nahi kar sakte,” Agha told reporters after Pakistan’s third T20I against Australia on Sunday.
“The decision to not play against India is not ours. Whatever our government and the PCB chairman ask us to do, we will follow that,” he added.
ICC yet to hear from PCB
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has responded firmly to the situation, stating that it has not received any official or written communication from the PCB regarding Pakistan’s withdrawal from the India match. The ICC has also reportedly warned that such a boycott could have serious implications for Pakistan cricket going forward.
With the tournament approaching, it remains unclear whether the PCB will stick to its stance or reconsider its decision under growing international scrutiny.
Pakistan’s World Cup plans
Pakistan will begin their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign against the Netherlands on February 7. The squad for the tournament has already been announced, with notable absentees including Mohammad Rizwan, Haris Rauf and Mohammad Haris.
Pakistan squad for T20 World Cup 2026:
Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk), Usman Tariq.
