India vs Pakistan T20 2026: PCB Refutes Reports of Boycott Talks with ICC
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has clearly said they did not contact the International Cricket Council (ICC) about the India vs Pakistan match at the T20 World Cup 2026. This statement came after reports said the PCB had reached out to the ICC to discuss possibly boycotting the game on February 15.
Refuting any such reports, Pakistan has opted to keep their cards close to the chest as the suspense over their decision to take part in the IND vs PAK contest ensues.
According to Radio Pakistan, PCB spokesperson Amir Mir said the board has not contacted the ICC about this issue and called the reports by some Indian media false. This comes just a day after reports had claimed that the ICC had demanded an explanation from Pakistan over their decision to boycott the tie against India in Colombo on February 15.
“In a statement on the social media platform X, PCB spokesperson Amir Mir said the Board had not approached the ICC regarding the fixture against the arch-rivals India and any claims by Indian media was far-fetched from reality,” the report stated.
PCB Denies Reports of Contacting ICC Over India vs Pakistan T20 Match
According to The Indian Express, an official said that the ICC will talk to the PCB in an organized way to resolve the issue. The official added it will be a discussion, not a confrontation, and that the PCB wants to engage with the ICC, with talks already in progress.
“The ICC will now engage in a structured manner to solve the problem; there would be a dialogue, not confrontation. Subsequent to the receipt of the formal communication from the ICC, PCB approached the international body to initiate further dialogue. ICC is currently engaging with the board in a structured manner to explore possible resolutions,” an official told the publication.
The issue began when the ICC replaced Bangladesh with Scotland in the T20 World Cup because Bangladesh didn’t want to travel to India. Pakistan then threatened to boycott the tournament. In the end, Pakistan chose to skip only the match against India, even though it will be played at a neutral venue.
After being warned by the ICC about sanctions and the losses that the broadcasters and the board could probably incur due to the decision, the PCB promptly decided to use the Force Majeure clause. This came even as the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) had written to the PCB, urging them to reconsider their stance on boycotting the India vs Pakistan match.
