BCCI Backs ICC on Pakistan Boycotting T20 WC Match Against India

BCCI vice president and Congress MP Rajeev Shukla said, “ICC has issued a big statement, they have spoken about sportsmanship. We completely agree with the ICC. BCCI won’t make any comments on it until we speak with the ICC.”

Shukla’s remarks came after Pakistan decided to boycott its group-stage match against India in the ICC World T20 World Cup, scheduled for February 15. The Pakistan government said in a post on X that the Pakistan team “shall not take the field” in the match against India.

In an X post on Sunday, the Government of Pakistan stated, “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 Pakistan Cricket Team shall not take the field in the match scheduled on 15th February 2026 against India.”

The Pakistan government did not give any reason for its decision not to play against India.

The Indian team is in terrific form ahead of the World Cup and recently won the five-match T20I series against New Zealand 4-1.

Hours after Pakistan announced its boycott, the ICC said that “selective participation” is not fair to the “fundamental premise of a global sporting event” and that it expects the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to explore a mutually acceptable resolution that protects the interests of all stakeholders.

In a release, the ICC said it has noted the statement made by the Government of Pakistan regarding the decision to instruct its national team to selectively participate in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

“While the ICC awaits official communication from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), this position of selective participation is difficult to reconcile with the fundamental premise of a global sporting event where all qualified teams are expected to compete on equal terms per the event schedule,” the release said.

The ICC added that its tournaments are built on sporting integrity, competitiveness, consistency, and fairness, and that selective participation undermines the spirit and sanctity of the competition.

“While the ICC respects the roles of governments in matters of national policy, this decision is not in the interest of the global game or the welfare of fans worldwide, including millions in Pakistan,” the release stated.

The ICC said it hopes the PCB will consider the long-term implications for cricket in Pakistan, noting that such decisions could impact the global cricket ecosystem, of which Pakistan is a member and beneficiary.

“It expects the PCB to explore a mutually acceptable resolution, which protects the interests of all stakeholders,” the release added.

Pakistan have a poor record against India in ICC T20 World Cups. The two teams have faced each other eight times, with India winning seven matches and Pakistan winning one.

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 will begin on February 7.

Last month, PCB chairman and Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to brief him on the ICC’s decision after Bangladesh refused to send its team to India citing purported security concerns.

The ICC had announced that Scotland would replace Bangladesh in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) refused to participate in the tournament as per the published schedule.

The decision came after the ICC rejected the BCB’s demand to move its matches from India to Sri Lanka, stating that there was no credible or verifiable security threat to the Bangladesh team in India.

The ICC said it undertook an extensive process over more than three weeks, engaging with the BCB through multiple rounds of dialogue, reviewing independent security assessments, and sharing detailed security and operational plans.

The assessments concluded that there was no credible security threat, and the ICC determined that amending the schedule would undermine the integrity and fairness of the tournament.

After the BCB failed to confirm participation within the stipulated deadline, the ICC proceeded with its governance process to identify a replacement team.

Scotland, currently ranked 14th in T20Is, were selected as the replacement team.

Defending champions India are placed in Group A alongside Namibia, the Netherlands, the USA, and arch-rivals Pakistan. India will open their campaign against the USA on February 7, followed by their match against Pakistan on February 12.