In a post on social media platform X on Sunday, the Pakistan government announced that it had granted permission for the national cricket team to take part in the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. However, Pakistan will not play the match scheduled against India on February 15.
While no official reason was cited for the decision, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi accused the ICC of double standards over the exclusion of Bangladesh from the tournament.
He had earlier stated that Pakistan’s participation in the event would ultimately depend on the government’s decision.
After days of speculation, Pakistan opted against boycotting the entire World Cup but formally announced it would not play against India.
Reacting to the development, Harsha Bhogle wrote on X that he was eager to see how the ICC would respond.
“It will be very interesting to see the response of the ICC if Pakistan go to the World Cup but don't play India. I don't know the legal position, or how the precedence could play out, but I won't be surprised if the ICC asks that the broadcaster's loss be deducted from Pakistan's share of ICC revenues. And, by the way, what if it is an India-Pakistan final?” Bhogle wrote.
India and Pakistan have not played a bilateral cricket series for more than a decade due to political tensions and only face each other in global and Asian tournaments.
The absence of an India–Pakistan clash would result in significant revenue losses for the ICC from broadcasting rights and sponsorship deals.
