Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has revealed the reason behind boycotting the IND vs PAK match in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. According to him, it’s Pakistan’s move to support Bangladesh.
“In the context of the T20 World Cup, we have taken a very clear stand that we will not play the match against India, because Pakistan has said that this is a playing field, this is not politics. There should be absolutely no politics in the playing field,” the Pakistan PM said in the federal cabinet in Islamabad.
“We have taken this stand after thinking deeply about it and in this situation, we should eat the poor along with the people of Bangladesh,” he said.
In English, the speech could be translated to: “Pakistan has taken a clear and unambiguous stance in the T20 World Cup, stating that it will not play against India. Pakistan maintains that sports and politics should be separate. On this principle, we stand in full solidarity with Bangladesh.”
Social media users have reacted to it. People from both sides of the border have posted mixed reactions.
“Translation: ‘We know we can’t win on the field, so we are taking a moral victory off the field.’ It saves you the NRR embarrassment, so honestly, smart move,” came a sarcastic comment.
“True leadership, putting integrity above pressure,” wrote a Pakistani user.
Another user wrote, “I stand with Pakistan. ICC should be ashamed. This is not how you run an organization.”
“It’s funny how a pm of a country is focusing on cricket,” wrote another user
“The ICC should now immediately expel Pakistan without any further consideration. Their drama will end then. Even if there is a loss, it will only happen once, right? At least it will be better for the future. But Pakistan is creating unnecessary drama,” came from another.
“Chal jhootha,” posted another.
Bangladesh not happy
While the Pakistan PM says the move is to stand up for Bangladesh, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is not happy with the decision.
Bangladesh cricket officials have expressed frustration over Pakistan’s decision to boycott the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 match against India.
The India–Pakistan fixture is valued at about $250 million, and its absence could shrink the ICC’s central revenue pool. Because Bangladesh receives dividends from this fund, any fall in revenue would directly affect domestic cricket, infrastructure and development programs.
BCB officials have also warned that smaller cricket nations, depending on ICC distributions, may suffer. Several directors said the boycott felt counter-productive, adding they never wanted support of this kind.
“If the India–Pakistan match does not take place, the entire cricketing world will face financial losses. Even our dividend will decrease. We did not want such losses,” said a BCB director.
