New Delhi: Sources in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have claimed there is no need for formal communication to the International Cricket Council (ICC) about their decision to boycott the marquee clash against India in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026. PCB sources insisted there will be no official communication as the decision has already been announced by the country’s government via their official platform.
The Pakistan government announced last week that it has cleared the men’s national team to take part in the T20 World Cup 2026, but the Men in Green won’t take the field in their clash against India. The T20 World Cup 2026, which gets underway on February 07, will be played in India and Sri Lanka.
Pakistan will be playing all their matches in Sri Lanka as part of their agreement with the BCCI and the ICC last year. Pakistan are scheduled to lock horns with arch-rivals India in Colombo on February 15, however, dark clouds hover over the match after they decided to boycott the contest.
Hours after the Pakistan government’s announcement on Sunday, the ICC took cognisance and warned Pakistan that selective participation in the tournament can result in significant and long-term implications. The world body also confirmed it was awaiting official communication from the PCB on the matter. However, a PCB source claimed there is no need for official communication.
“Since it’s a government decision and conveyed through an official platform, so there is no need to write to the ICC,” a PCB source was quoted as saying by Telecomasia.
The source further argued that India made no official communication to the ICC when the BCCI refused to send the team to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy last year. He also claimed that the BCCI didn’t show any government letter when they were asked to, insisting that PCB too would not give anything in writing to the ICC.
“Did India at any point convey to the ICC that they will not travel to Pakistan, and when once it was demanded of India to show Government’s letter, they never showed it. So is there a need to give anything in writing? No,” the source was quoted as saying.