Government clears team for tournament but withholds approval for February 15 clash in Colombo over governance concerns
Pakistan’s decision to boycott its high-profile T20 World Cup group match against India is being viewed as a political and administrative protest against what Islamabad considers the International Cricket Council’s “biased decisions”, according to media reports.
While the Pakistan government has given clearance for the national men’s team, led by Salman Agha, to travel to Sri Lanka for the tournament, it has reportedly denied approval for the February 15 Group A clash against India in Colombo. The move stops short of a full withdrawal from the competition but sends a strong signal of dissent.
According to a report by Geo News, the decision was taken as a protest against the ICC’s handling of Bangladesh’s exclusion from the tournament. “The Pakistan team has been instructed not to play the February 15 match against India as a protest,” a source was quoted as saying, adding that “the principles of justice and equality have been shattered by biased decisions.”
Officials in Pakistan are said to be unhappy with the ICC’s decision to replace Bangladesh with Scotland after Dhaka refused to travel to India citing security concerns. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has repeatedly claimed that Bangladesh was treated unfairly and that its objections were not adequately addressed by the global governing body.
The call to boycott only the India match, rather than the entire tournament, was reportedly finalised after discussions at the highest levels of the Pakistan government. PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday before the decision was sealed.
If Pakistan do not take the field on February 15, India would be awarded two points due to a forfeit. However, Pakistan could face disciplinary action from the ICC, as the fixture is scheduled at a neutral venue in Sri Lanka under a tripartite agreement between the ICC, PCB and BCCI.
Despite the controversy, Pakistan are set to travel to Colombo on Monday, February 2. The team will play a warm-up match against Ireland on February 4 before opening their campaign against the Netherlands on February 7 at the R Premadasa Stadium.
Pakistan are placed in Group A alongside India, Namibia, the Netherlands and the USA. The team is also scheduled to face the USA on February 10 and Namibia on February 18. Boycotting the India match could put Pakistan’s qualification for the next round under pressure in the tightly contested group.
Speaking after Pakistan’s win over Australia in the final T20I on Sunday, captain Salman Agha said the players had no role in the decision. “We will do whatever the government and the PCB ask us to do,” he said.