Sanjay Manjrekar has stated that Pakistan’s decision to not participate in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 match against India will not affect the tournament. The Pakistani government has instructed its Cricket team to skip the match scheduled for February 15 in Colombo. The International Cricket Council (ICC) is not pleased with this decision and has urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to reconsider. Discussions are expected to take place soon to address this issue, but even if the situation doesn’t change, Manjrekar believes it won’t matter, as the level of competition between the two teams has decreased.
“It’s not a big deal if the match doesn’t happen. The games don’t meet expectations anymore, and both teams are not in the same league. Pakistan was strong in the 90s, but that’s no longer the case. It’s fine if the match doesn’t take place,” he said.
Manjrekar emphasized that the focus should be on India’s matches with other leading teams. India has been performing well against Pakistan, having won three consecutive matches in the Asia Cup 2025.
“Teams like Australia, England, New Zealand, and South Africa are also in the tournament. Matches against them are crucial, and India should strive to win. Beating Pakistan now feels like defeating a weaker team. The standard of Pakistan cricket has declined. There’s a significant gap between the two teams,” he added.
“For me, India vs Pakistan isn’t a big deal. It would be unfortunate if the match doesn’t happen, as no one likes to see a team getting a walkover. However, it won’t diminish the tournament’s value because there are plenty of strong teams competing,” he concluded.