Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha has addressed the government’s choice to boycott the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 match against India. On February 1, the Pakistani government announced that while the team will participate in the global tournament, they would skip the match against India.
This decision followed the International Cricket body’s removal of Bangladesh from the World Cup after they declined to travel to India due to security issues. Scotland stepped in to replace Bangladesh.
Agha stated that the players have no influence over this outcome and will adhere to the instructions from the government and the Pakistan Cricket Board. He emphasized that while Pakistan is prepared to face other teams, they will follow the directives regarding the match against India.
“We will go for the World Cup. This is not our decision, and we can’t do anything. We will follow the instructions given by our government and chairman,” Agha commented after the third T20I against Australia.
The match was set for February 15 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Pakistan, India, Namibia, the Netherlands, and the United States make up Group A.
If Pakistan maintains its stance on not playing against India, India will automatically receive two points. The ICC has not issued an official statement regarding Pakistan’s decision. In past tournaments, Australia, England, the West Indies, and New Zealand have also opted out of some World Cup matches.
