The Government of Pakistan on Sunday (February 1) granted permission for its national team to participate in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 but has instructed them not to take the field for their group-stage clash against India on February 15.
Pakistan’s move has been drawing backlash from all quarters. Former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi, who has been vocal about keeping sports and politics separate, expressed regret over the decision but refrained from criticising his government.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Afridi wrote, “I've always believed cricket can open doors when politics closes them. Regrettably, Pakistan won't play India at the #T20WorldCup, but I stand behind my government's decision. This is the moment for @ICC to lead and prove through decisions, not statements, that it is impartial, independent, and fair to every member.”
Afridi’s post highlights his hypocrisy as he previously slammed the India Legends for pulling out of the scheduled World Champions of Legends fixture against Pakistan Legends last year.
Afridi had then tweeted, “Sports bring people closer, but if politics gets involved in everything, how will we move forward? … Sometimes, there's one bad egg that spoils everything for everyone else,” seemingly taking a swipe at former India opener Shikhar Dhawan.
Now, Shahid Afridi is openly endorsing political interference at one of cricket’s most prestigious events.
On the other hand, former Pakistan batter Mohammad Yousuf called Pakistan's boycott of the T20 World Cup match against India an act of principle amid political tensions.
“PakistanvsIndia is one of the greatest sporting events in the world, yet it continues to suffer from political interference that damages the spirit and pride of the game. In such an unfair environment, choosing not to play becomes an act of principle — an eye‑for‑an‑eye response to protect the integrity of the Sports," Yousuf wrote on X.
In an earlier post, Yousuf had described the move as ‘tough but necessary’. “A tough but necessary stand by our Government. Principles must come before commercial interests. The ‘selective’ influence in world cricket needs to end for the game to truly be global. We play with pride, but we also stand for equality and justice in sports," he had posted.
Pakistan made the decision to boycott India match days after the ICC rejected Bangladesh’s plea to relocate their matches to Sri Lanka. BCB had cited ‘security concerns” for their players in India 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 highlighting 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.
Pakistan are slated to play all their T20 World Cup fixtures in Sri Lanka under a hybrid model agreement with the BCCI and ICC till 2027.
If the Men in Green fail to take the field against India on February 15, the match will be ruled a forfeit under ICC rules, resulting in an automatic loss of two points and a hit to their net run rate. Moreover, severe sanctions are likely to be imposed on PCB that could isolate Pakistan cricket.
