NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan batter Mohammad Yousuf has strongly reacted to the Pakistan government’s decision to boycott the T20 World Cup league match against India. He called the move a matter of principle and blamed politics for hurting cricket.
Sharing his views on X, Yousuf wrote, “Pakistan vs India is one of the greatest sporting events in the world, yet it continues to suffer from political interference that damages the spirit and pride of the game. In such an unfair environment, choosing not to play becomes an act of principle — an eye-for-an-eye response to protect the integrity of the Sports.”The controversy began after the Pakistan government announced on Sunday that the national team will not play India in their group match in Colombo on February 15. No official reason was given for the decision. Earlier, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi had warned of strong action after Bangladesh were replaced by Scotland in the tournament lineup.The International Cricket Council reacted quickly. The ICC expressed concern over the long-term impact of such a decision on Pakistan cricket. In a statement, the ICC said, “ICC hopes PCB will consider the significant and long-term implications for cricket in its own country as this is likely to impact the global cricket ecosystem, which it is itself a member and beneficiary of.”Another ICC statement added that selective participation goes against the spirit of global events. It said, “This position of selective participation is difficult to reconcile with the fundamental premise of a global sporting event where all qualified teams are expected to compete on equal terms per the event schedule.”Sources have suggested that the ICC could take strict action if Pakistan stick to its stand. This may include removal from the World Cup or future ICC events. The Pakistan government also confirmed the decision in an official post, saying, “The Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan grants approval to the Pakistan cricket team to participate in the ICC World T20 2026, however, the Pakistan Cricket Team shall not take the field in the match scheduled on 15th February 2026 against India.”If the match is forfeited, Pakistan will lose two points and suffer a net run-rate loss.
