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Ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026, controversy has erupted as Pakistan considers boycotting its match against India. Reports suggest the ICC may remove Pakistan from the tournament if it withdraws, with Bangladesh likely to replace them in Group A.
India Match Boycott May Cost Pakistan T20 World Cup Spot
New Delhi: Ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup, a new controversy has emerged regarding Pakistan and Bangladesh. According to reports, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is considering boycotting the match against India. On January 26th, PCB Chief Mohsin Naqvi met with the Pakistani Prime Minister regarding this issue, where a proposal to not play the match against India was made. It is reported that a final decision on this matter could be made by Friday.
Amidst this entire development, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has also clarified its stance. According to media reports, if Pakistan boycotts the match against India in the T20 World Cup or decides to withdraw from the tournament, it could be expelled from the entire tournament. In such a situation, Bangladesh could be included in the T20 World Cup in place of Pakistan.
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ICC sources have reported that in the event of Pakistan's exclusion, Bangladesh will be given its place in Group A. According to the report, Bangladesh may be allowed to play all its matches in Sri Lanka. It's worth noting that Bangladesh was previously excluded from the tournament because it wanted to play all its matches in Sri Lanka instead of India. A vote was held on this issue within the ICC, but Bangladesh failed to garner support, forcing its withdrawal from the tournament.
Following Bangladesh's exit from the T20 World Cup, Pakistan began making harsh statements regarding the match against India. However, the ICC has already prepared an alternative plan to deal with this situation so that the tournament is not affected.
Pakistan is planning to boycott only the India-Pakistan match scheduled for February 15th. However, according to reports, doing so could prove extremely detrimental for Pakistan. Violating the agreement with the ICC could result in severe sanctions for Pakistan. It could even be suspended not only from the T20 World Cup, but also from future major tournaments like the ODI World Cup and Asia Cup.
