Pakistan Boycotted India Match to Back Bangladesh, Confirms PM Shehbaz Sharif

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan boycotted the India match at the T20 World Cup 2026 in solidarity with Bangladesh after its removal from the tournament.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has explained the reasons behind his country’s decision to boycott the group-stage clash against India at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. Ending weeks of official silence, Sharif confirmed that the move was taken as a show of solidarity with Bangladesh, which was controversially removed from the tournament.

His remarks marked the first direct admission from either the Pakistan government or the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) linking the boycott to Bangladesh’s exclusion.

Bangladesh were removed from the T20 World Cup after their government refused to allow the national team to travel to India, citing security concerns. With India and Sri Lanka set to co-host the tournament, Bangladesh requested that all their matches be shifted to Sri Lanka. However, after an independent review found no credible security threat, the ICC rejected the request.

The ICC board later voted 14-2 to replace Bangladesh with Scotland. Both the PCB and the Bangladesh Cricket Board opposed the decision. The episode triggered heavy criticism of PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan’s interior minister in Sharif’s cabinet. Naqvi accused the ICC of double standards and unfair treatment of Bangladesh.

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Addressing federal cabinet members in Islamabad, Prime Minister Sharif confirmed that Pakistan’s refusal to play India on February 15 was a deliberate and carefully considered move.

“We have taken a very clear stand on the T20 World Cup that we won’t play the match against India because there should be no politics on the sports field. We have taken a very considered stance, and we should completely stand by Bangladesh, and I think this is a very appropriate decision,” the Pakistan Prime Minister said.

The BCB, ICC, PCB and ICC Fiasco

The Pakistan government had earlier announced that the national team would take part in the tournament but would boycott the match against India without offering any explanation. Following the announcement, the ICC warned the PCB about possible long-term consequences and urged it to reconsider its position, stating that selective participation could harm the integrity of global cricket.

With India-Pakistan matches being the biggest commercial attraction of the tournament, the ICC also faces significant financial losses if the boycott goes ahead.

Despite mounting pressure, the PCB has yet to officially communicate its position to the ICC, although back-channel talks are believed to be ongoing. Naqvi has continued to argue that allowing India flexibility on travel-related decisions while denying similar concessions to Bangladesh reflects inconsistency in governance by the global body.