Pakistan off to Sri Lanka for T20 World Cup amid India boycott row
The Pakistan cricket team departed for Sri Lanka to participate in the T20 World Cup 2026, less than 24 hours after their government announced the decision to boycott India match.
Amid the boycott stance against India, the Pakistan cricket team has departed for Sri Lanka to participate in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. The developement comes following the Pakistan government's decision to boycott the much-awaited fixture against India in the tournament, scheduled to be held on December 15 in Colombo.
The Pakistan government granted permission for the Salman Agha-led team to participate in the T20 World Cup but instructed them not to play the match against India. However, there is no official communication yet from the PCB to ICC.
Less than a day after the official announcement of the boycott, Pakistan have flown to Sri Lanka to compete in the tournament. The Men in Green are scheduled to play all of their fixtures under a hybrid model agreement with the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in December 2024.
WATCH: PAK players leave for Sri Lanka
Amidst the uncertainty surrounding the India-Pakistan fixture, videos of Pakistan players leaving the airport have gone viral on social media. The likes of Fakhar Zaman, Shaheen Afridi, and Salman Agha, among others, were seen carrying their luggage on departure.
Pakistan will open their campaign against the Netherlands on the opening day at the SSC in Colombo.
Meanwhile, despite Pakistan's boycott stance, the Indian team is expected to travel to Sri Lanka as scheduled. As per reports, captain Suryakumar Yadav is set to walk out for the toss even if skipper Salman Ali Agha does not appear. In that case, the match referee will award India a walkover, resulting in two points being awarded to the Men In Blue.
Pakistan set to face stringent actions
Pakistan's announcement to play selectively in the tournament might cost them dearly, as the move has not gone down well with the ICC.
After Pakistan's move to boycott the India match, the ICC is likely to hold a key meeting in the next 48 hours, and if the situation is not resolved soon, PCB could face severe sanctions.
These might include penalties ranging from financial losses to a ban on issuing No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) for overseas players participating in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), a freeze on payout of funds to Pakistan from the ICC revenue, demanding compensation from PCB to the broadcaster for the revenue loss, exclusion from the Asia Cup and suspension of all bilateral series involving Pakistan.