Pakistan cricket team captain, Salman Ali Agha, gave his opinion on the government’s call to boycott the T20 World Cup 2026 match against India. The government said Pakistan would compete, but wouldn’t play India on February 15 during group stages. This call happened after Bangladesh was kicked from the T20 World Cup for not wanting to play in India. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) asked the International Cricket Council (ICC) to move their games from India because of security concerns, but the ICC wouldn’t change the schedule. Agha was asked about the boycott, and he said the team had no say because it was the government’s call. But he also said the cricketers would do what the government and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) told them.
Yeah, for sure, we’re going. But it’s not up to us, man, we can’t do anything about it. We gotta do what the government and our chairman tell us. That’s the only way we go, Agha said at the press conference after Pakistan’s third T20I against Australia.
The ICC questioned the Pakistan government’s move, warning the boycott could lead to penalties.
The ICC hopes the PCB thinks hard about the big, lasting effects on cricket in their own country, since this could mess with global cricket, which they’re part of and benefit from, the ICC said in a statement.
While the ICC gets that governments have a job in national policy, this decision isn’t good for the game or the fans around the world, including millions in Pakistan, it added.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said they’d rethink their participation after that move, showing they stood with Bangladesh.
The Pakistan government posted on social media that they’d let the Pakistan cricket team play in the tournament, but the team won’t play against India on February 15 in Colombo.