T20 World Cup: We will not play against India, Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif says

Dubai: Efforts to persuade Pakistan to reconsider its decision to boycott its T20 World Cup match against India appear to have stalled, as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday reiterated that the country’s stance remains unchanged.

According to Pakistani media reports, Sharif said, “We have taken a clear stand regarding the T20 World Cup that we will not play the match against India.” He added that the decision was made after careful deliberation and described it as appropriate. Emphasising that politics should not interfere with sports, Sharif said the matter had been thoroughly assessed before reaching a conclusion.

Earlier, Pakistan announced it would boycott its group-stage match against India in the T20 World Cup after the government posted on X that the Pakistan team “shall not take the field” against India, without providing any specific reason.

In response, the International Cricket Council (ICC) issued a statement criticising the move, stating that “selective participation” contradicts the fundamental premise of a global sporting event. The ICC said it expects the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to work towards a mutually acceptable resolution that safeguards the interests of all stakeholders.

In its release, the ICC noted the Government of Pakistan’s instruction to its national team regarding selective participation in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. While awaiting official communication from the PCB, the ICC said such a position is difficult to reconcile with the principle that all qualified teams must compete on equal terms according to the tournament schedule.

Last month, PCB chairman and Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met Prime Minister Sharif to brief him on the ICC’s stance, following Bangladesh’s refusal to send its team to India citing alleged security concerns.

Subsequently, the ICC announced that Scotland would replace Bangladesh in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 after the Bangladesh Cricket Board declined to participate as per the published schedule. The decision came after the ICC rejected Bangladesh’s request to shift its matches from India to Sri Lanka, citing the absence of any credible or verifiable security threat. The 20-team tournament is scheduled to be held from February 7 to March 8.