A X (formerly Twitter) post issued by Pakistan's official government has confirmed the speculation that India will start the World Cup with two points in hand.
The post reads, âThe 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.â
It confirms that Pakistan is boycotting the match against India, which is scheduled to play on February 15.
Previous interventions
This is not the only time political or security concerns have led to teams refusing to play matches in ICC events.
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Historically
1996 ODI World Cup: Australia and West Indies refused to travel to Sri Lanka due to security concerns.
2003 Cricket World Cup: England avoided playing in Zimbabwe, and New Zealand did not travel to Kenya, underlining security/political pressure challenges.
Bangladesh in T20 World Cup 2026: Bangladesh withdrew from the tournament after a dispute over playing in India, leading to Scotland replacing them in the competition.
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ICC's stance
The International Cricket Council (ICC) criticised Pakistanâs stance, warning that selective match participation undermines the spirit and integrity of global cricket competitions and could have long-term consequences.
