The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has officially informed the International Cricket Council (ICC) of its decision to boycott the group-stage match against India in the upcoming T20 World Cup, sources said on Monday.

According to the sources, the PCB communicated its stance through an email, informing the ICC of the government’s decision not to allow the team to play against India on February 15.

ICC urges mutually acceptable resolution

Earlier, the International Cricket Council (ICC) urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to pursue a “mutually acceptable resolution” after the Pakistan government announced its decision to boycott the national team’s group-stage match against India at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

In a statement issued around three hours after the government’s announcement on social media platform X, the ICC said it expected the PCB to consider the broader implications of selective participation, warning that such a move could affect the global cricket ecosystem.

“The ICC notes the statement that the government of Pakistan has made regarding the decision to instruct its national team to selectively participate in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026,” the statement said, adding that it had not yet received official communication from the PCB.

Selective participation

The ICC said selective participation was difficult to reconcile with the principles of a global sporting event, where all qualified teams are expected to compete on equal terms according to the schedule.

“ICC tournaments are built on sporting integrity, competitiveness, consistency and fairness, and selective participation undermines the spirit and sanctity of the competitions,” the statement read.

While acknowledging the role of governments in national policy matters, the ICC said the decision was not in the interest of the global game or cricket fans worldwide, including those in Pakistan.

Solidarity with Bangladesh

The governing body stressed that the successful staging of the T20 World Cup was a collective responsibility and called on the PCB to protect the interests of all stakeholders.

Pakistan’s participation in the tournament was in doubt following Bangladesh’s removal from the event on January 24.

Bangladesh were excluded after refusing to play matches in India due to security concerns.

Pakistan publicly supported Bangladesh’s request for an alternative venue and accused the ICC of double standards, favouring India.

PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi had said at the time that the final decision on Pakistan’s participation would rest with the government.

The high-profile fixture against India is scheduled for February 15.

Pakistan to forfeit 2 points

Pakistan is in Group A alongside India, Namibia, the Netherlands and the United States, with all of their matches scheduled to be played in Sri Lanka, a co-host of the tournament along with India.

Pakistan are set to open their campaign against the Netherlands on February 7, followed by matches against the USA on February 10 and Namibia on February 18.

If Pakistan boycott the match against India, they will forfeit the two points from the fixture.

Under the ICC Playing Conditions, Pakistan’s net run rate would also be adversely affected by the forfeiture, while India’s net run rate would remain unchanged.

According to ICC rules, in the event of a forfeit, the full 20 overs of the defaulting team’s innings are counted when calculating net run rate.