Pakistan have been cleared to participate in the tournament in Sri Lanka, but the government says the team "shall not take the field" for the February 15 match against India in Colombo; ICC yet to issue an official response.
Pakistan will not play their scheduled ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 group-stage match against India, after the Government of Pakistan issued an official statement on Sunday confirming a boycott of the high-profile fixture.
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.
— Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) February 1, 2026
In a post shared by the government's official account, Pakistan were granted approval to take part in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, but the statement added that the team “shall not take the field” in the match scheduled on February 15, 2026.
The match is listed for Colombo, Sri Lanka, and is one of the marquee fixtures of the group stage.
No ICC clarification yet
As of Sunday night, the International Cricket Council had not publicly confirmed what action will be taken if a team refuses to take the field—whether the match will be treated as a forfeit/walkover, rescheduled, or handled under tournament playing conditions.
Decision followed high-level meeting: report
Pakistan media report that the decision came after a meeting between Mohsin Naqvi and Shehbaz Sharif, ahead of the government’s formal statement.
This story is developing. CricNepal will update once the ICC releases an official clarification on the match outcome and points implications.
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