Sunil Gavaskar Slams ICC After Pakistan Announce India Boycott at T20 World Cup 2026

Pakistan will take part in the T20 World Cup 2026 but will not play their group match against India in Colombo on February 15. The decision has been confirmed by the Pakistan government and is being described as a political protest against the ICC.

The boycott follows the ICC’s recent decision involving Bangladesh. The governing body rejected Bangladesh’s request to shift their matches out of India, after which Bangladesh were removed from the tournament and replaced by Scotland.

Pakistan had backed Bangladesh during the dispute, especially around Mustafizur Rahman’s IPL-related issue. The ICC’s refusal to accommodate Bangladesh appears to have triggered Pakistan’s hard stance.

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has criticised Pakistan’s late withdrawal from the India match. He said pulling out so close to the tournament creates serious problems and could set a dangerous example for future events.

Gavaskar stressed that withdrawing at the last moment is very different from taking a call well in advance. He said the ICC must step in to stop teams from considering similar boycotts later.

“Definitely, I think if you withdraw at the last moment, that is an issue,” Gavaskar told India Today. He added that action is needed to ensure no team repeats this in the future.

Gavaskar also suggested that the ICC may explore legal options against Pakistan. He said the governing body is unlikely to take this decision lightly, given the scale of disruption it causes.

“The ICC will probably take legal action against Pakistan over the refusal to play against India,” he said, while adding that the final outcome remains uncertain.

Pakistan are placed in Group A alongside India, Namibia, USA and the Netherlands. Even without the India game, they are expected to play their remaining group fixtures as scheduled.

The timing of the announcement stood out. It came on the same day India Under-19 defeated Pakistan Under-19 by 58 runs in a Super Six match of the U19 World Cup in Bulawayo.

The situation highlights growing tension between cricket administration and politics. Pakistan sees the issue as unequal treatment by the ICC, while voices like Gavaskar warn that last-minute withdrawals threaten the stability of global tournaments.

With the World Cup nearing, attention is now on how the ICC responds and whether it takes action to prevent similar standoffs in the future.