Mumbai: Skipper Suryakumar Yadav broke silence on Pakistan boycotting the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup match against India and stated that his team is ready to fly to Colombo on February 15 for the game at the R. Premadasa Stadium.
Pakistan will not play India in their scheduled Men’s T20 World Cup match in Colombo on February 15, after their government approved the Men in Green’s participation in the World Cup on the condition that they will not play the match against India.
India and Pakistan are in Group A alongside Namibia, Netherlands and the United States of America (USA). All of Pakistan’s matches are scheduled in Sri Lanka, which is co-hosting the tournament with India.
India will open the campaign against the USA on February 7, the tournament’s first day; at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Meanwhile, Pakistan will kickstart their campaign against the Netherlands on the same day.
“We haven’t refused to play against Pakistan. They have refused. I think mindset is pretty clear. We have not said no to playing the match. It came from the other side. ICC has given the official fixtures. BCCI and the government have decided on a neutral venue along with ICC.
“Our flight is booked for Colombo. So we are going for sure. The team discussion is that we are playing first on February 7, then we will go there,” Suryakumar told reporters in the T20 World Cup 2026 Captains’ Day Press Conference on Thursday.
Pakistan’s stance of not playing India follows the ICC’s decision to replace Bangladesh with Scotland for the T20 World Cup. Bangladesh were excluded after they refusing to play their matches in India, citing security concerns.
The Prime Minister of Pakistan Shahbaz Sharif reaffirmed on Wednesday that their senior men’s cricket team will not play India in the forthcoming Men’s T20 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Sri Lanka and India.
“We have taken a very clear stand on the T20 World Cup that we won’t play the match against India because there should be no politics on the sports field. We have taken a very considered stance, and we should completely stand by Bangladesh, and I think this is a very appropriate decision. We are with Bangladesh,” he added.
Earlier, the International Cricket Council (ICC) expressed serious concerns over the Pakistan government’s decision to instruct its cricket team to boycott its fixture against India, saying, “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.”
“While the ICC respects the roles of governments in matters of national policy, this decision is not in the interest of the global game or the welfare of fans worldwide, including millions in Pakistan. The ICC hopes that the 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,” it added.
(IANS)
