ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan departed for the T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka on Monday and awaited any sanction from the International Cricket Council for refusing to play India in the tournament.
In video footage released by the Pakistan Cricket Board, the cricketers were dressed in their new World Cup kit as they boarded a bus from a hotel to the airport in Lahore.
India is co-hosting the World Cup but Pakistan will play all of its games in Sri Lanka — including any in the knockout stage — because of political tensions with India.
Pakistan shook the cricketing world when its government instructed the team on Sunday to compete in the World Cup but boycott the group game against India in Colombo on Feb. 15. The government did not give a reason on its X account.
The PCB has reportedly not given official notice to the ICC.
The ICC warned Pakistan there will be consequences.
The ICC said “the position of selective participation is difficult to reconcile with the fundamental premises of a global sporting event.” The ICC added Pakistan’s decision was “not in the interest of the global game or the welfare of fans worldwide, including millions in Pakistan.”
Pakistan and India have fought four wars and frequently clash on their border, so their cricket matchups often attract the highest audience and are therefore a significant source of income for broadcasters, sponsors, and the ICC.
They are regularly grouped at ICC tournaments because they have not played a bilateral cricket series for 14 years.
The T20 World Cup starts on Saturday when Pakistan is scheduled to open against the Netherlands.
Pakistan will play a final warmup game against Ireland on Wednesday in Colombo.
After Pakistan wrapped up a 3-0 Twenty20 series win over Australia on Sunday in Lahore, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha said he will follow the government’s instructions.
“It’s not our decision (to boycott the India game), we can’t do anything about it,” Agha said. “We will do whatever our government and the (PCB) chairman say.”
PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi has criticized the ICC for “double standards” by refusing to shift Bangladesh’s games to Sri Lanka after the Bangladesh government didn't allow its team to travel to India due to security concerns. The ICC axed Bangladesh and replaced it with Scotland for the tournament.
The strained political relations between India and Pakistan spilled onto the cricket field last year when India players refused to shake hands with Pakistan players during three Asia Cup games, including the final, in the United Arab Emirates. Later, India left without the trophy after it refused to accept it from Naqvi, who is the president of the Asian Cricket Council.
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
Only subscribers can view and post comments on articles.
Already a subscriber? Login Here
What the Constitution Means to Me Read moreWhat The Constitution Means To Me
You’ve likely known your closest friends for years — but when was the last time you met some… Read moreMaking Friends in Your 60s and Beyond
anna kuhre said:
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.