Pakistan to boycott group stage match against India in T20 World Cup 2026: Reports

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), on Monday, January 26, delayed its decision on participation in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026 campaign, which is scheduled to start on Saturday, February 7, in India and Sri Lanka.

The PCB Chief Mohsin Naqvi, who met the Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, took to X to state that the final call will be taken either on Friday or next Monday. Taking to his official X (Formerly Twitter) handle, Naqvi wrote that they will resolve the matter while keeping all options on the table.

“Had a productive meeting with the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Briefed him on the ICC matter, and he directed that we resolve it while keeping all options on the table. It was agreed that the final decision will be taken either on Friday or next Monday,” Naqvi posted on X.

For the unversed, Pakistan has already announced its squad for the tournament. However, speculations over its participation in the showpiece event have intensified. One possibility is Pakistan refusing to play their group-stage match against India on February 15 in Colombo. 

The former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has urged the PCB not to boycott the match against India. Furthermore, Basit also questioned the timing of any potential boycott, adding that if they are looking to boycott, they start forfeit the game against India U19 on Sunday, February 1.

“Pakistan should not boycott, but wear black armbands and play the India game,” Basit said on his YouTube channel, Basit Ali Show. He added that cricket was no longer a “gentleman’s game” and had become deeply political.

“Why wait for the February 15 India vs Pakistan game at the T20 World Cup? If you have to boycott, do it on February 1 during the Pakistan vs India U-19 World Cup match,” he added.

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