ISLAMABAD: The government of Pakistan has granted conditional permission for the Pakistan cricket team to participate in the T20 World Cup. However, it has been explicitly decided that the Pakistani team will not play any matches against India during the event.
According to sources, Pakistan has officially boycotted any match against India in the T20 World Cup. This decision applies solely to the Pakistan-India match, while the team will still compete against other teams in the tournament.
The Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan grants approval to the Pakistan Cricket Team to participate in the ICC World T20 2026, however, the Pakistan Cricket Team shall not take the field in the match scheduled on 15th February 2026 against India.
— Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) February 1, 2026
Reports suggest that an important meeting took place between Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Mohsin Naqvi. During this meeting, they discussed various aspects concerning the participation of the Pakistan cricket team in the T20 World Cup.
In this meeting, it was decided, considering national interests, the security situation, and diplomatic issues, that Pakistan will participate in the World Cup. However, the principle of not playing against India will be upheld.
