Former Indian cricketer Atul Wassan has called on the International Cricket Council (ICC) to disqualify Pakistan from the T20 World Cup 2026 if they proceed to boycott their match against India. This match is set to take place in Colombo on February 15.
Recent government guidelines indicate that Pakistan is likely to miss this game. If they do, India will receive two points, and Pakistan will face a defeat, impacting their net run rate negatively.
“I feel a bit sorry for them and am somewhat surprised. What are they hoping to achieve? As the saying goes, ‘When destruction is imminent, wisdom fails.’ If Pakistan skips this match and gives up the points, will they also not play if they meet India later? They’re forcing the ICC’s hand; they might have to remove them from the tournament because this seems like blackmail… They will face considerable financial losses,” Wassan said, as reported by NDTV Sports.
Wassan also mentioned that this boycott might benefit Pakistani players, given their poor history against India in World Cups. India has won 15 out of 16 matches against Pakistan in ODI and T20 World Cups, with a record of seven wins in eight T20 encounters.
“They are trying every way to retaliate against India… They don’t realize they are heading toward failure. Perhaps the Pakistani players will feel relieved, knowing they are likely to lose, thus avoiding humiliation,” Wassan added.
In addition to India and Pakistan, Group A consists of Namibia, the Netherlands, and the USA. India enters the tournament as the defending champions, while Pakistan faced an early exit in the last T20 World Cup held two years ago in the USA and West Indies.