Pakistan announced earlier this week that they will participate in the T20 World Cup 2026 but will boycott the group stage match against India on February 15 in Colombo. Speaking on the controversy, former India captain Gavaskar said that Pakistan’s decision doesn’t surprise him at all. He also argued that Pakistan don’t have a genuine cause to pull out of the contest.
“This is not a surprise. After the ICC decided not to accept Bangladesh’s request to shift their matches, only two boards voted in favor: Bangladesh and the Pakistan Cricket Board. Pakistan also said at that point that they might not play the tournament. So, it was pretty clear that skipping the entire event would cost them heavily, but boycotting the match against India doesn’t come as a surprise. There were hints they were looking to do something like this,” Gavaskar told India Today.
“It actually makes you wonder what is going on. The political situation in the Indian subcontinent has changed, and Pakistan is looking to take advantage of that by showing solidarity with Bangladesh. They also voted [against the ICC] at the meeting, so that is totally understandable. Before the venues were decided, Pakistan said they won’t play in India, which was accepted. There is no reason for them to boycott the match against India. They haven’t specified a reason. At the moment, we are second-guessing why they are doing it. There is no statement from the Pakistan government or the PCB. We just have to wonder why they have decided not to play against India,” he added.
Following Pakistan’s announcement, the ICC has urged them to reconsider, citing the potential long-term damage to the sport within the country. Gavaskar further suggested that if Pakistan maintains this stance, the implications could be massive, potentially leading to their isolation from world cricket.
“When the ICC board met recently, the vote was 14:2. It’s going to be something similar, 14:2, when the ICC board meets again to decide on the sanctions against Pakistan,” Gavaskar noted.
The Pakistan squad landed in Colombo on Monday amid the ongoing controversy. They will take on the Netherlands in the tournament opener on February 7.