While Pakistan have announced their 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, their participation in the showpiece tournament continues to remain uncertain as of now.

PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi recently stated that Pakistan government would take a final call on national team’s participation in the competition in the aftermath of Bangladesh's exit.

The ICC on Saturday (January 24) announced the decision to remove Bangladesh from the T20 World Cup after the BCB refused to travel to India.

Earlier this month, the BCB requested the ICC to relocate their matches to Sri Lanka, citing security concerns in India. The apprehensions came following heightened tensions between the two countries and the release of Mustafizur Rahman by IPL franchise KKR on BCCI’s instructions.

However, the apex body turned down the request, saying no such verifiable threat existed while also citing the logistical difficulty of altering the tournament schedule so close to the event. Bangladesh maintained their stance and were later replaced by Scotland in the 20-team tournament.

While PCB is waiting for a final decision from the government, a report in the Pakistani media suggests that the board is considering protesting the ICC’s decision on Bangladesh’s ouster by forfeiting its scheduled Group A fixture against India on February 15 in Colombo instead of boycotting the entire event.

According to the report, the Naqvi-led body is prepared with a plan to proceed with the forfeiture while avoiding sanctions from either the ICC or broadcasters.

The report further stated that the PCB intends to call the boycott a direct instruction from the government rather than a decision by the board.

Under ICC regulations, boards can be heavily penalised for political interference. However, the PCB is confident that by citing national security and government directives, it can argue a force majeure case.

“A total boycott of the event is not the top priority, however, Pakistan could forfeit the group match against India to be held on Feb 15,” a report in Dawn quoted a source as saying. “For this, solid grounds are available to the PCB, which could avoid any sanctions or penalty on it from the ICC.”

"Pakistan can say it is following the instructions of the government in not playing against India. In that case, the ICC cannot impose any cash penalty or sanctions on the PCB," the report added.

The India versus Pakistan fixture is estimated to generate a considerable portion of the tournament's global sponsorship and broadcast revenue. By targeting this particular match, Pakistan aim to hit the ICC where it is most vulnerable. However, the repercussions could leave the country's cricket board in financial ruin.

While PCB feels it has a way to avoid sanctions, a potential boycott of the India match involves more complexities than the country's government and board can easily plan for.