BCCI Makes Stance Clear After Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif's T20 World Cup 2026 'Boycott' Statement
BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla reiterated that the Indian cricket board will follow the decisions taken by the ICC.
- BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla clarified their stance after Pakistan's T20 World Cup boycott
- Shukla's comments came after Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif labelled their boycott an "appropriate decision"
- "BCCI has nothing to say on this. Whatever ICC says, we will go according to that decision," Shukla said
On Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's statement reitering his nation's stance of not playing the ICC T20 World Cup Group Stage clash against Pakistan, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice-president Rajeev Shukla said that the board will go with whatever the International Cricket Council (ICC) decides. Shukla said to ANI, "BCCI has nothing to say on this (on Shehbaz's statement). ICC has to decide on this, and whatever ICC says, we will go according to that decision."
The Pakistan premier on Wednesday reiterated the country's decision to boycott its T20 World Cup match against India, saying the country has taken a "clear stand" for the February 15 match in Sri Lanka, reported Dawn.
"We have taken a clear stand regarding the T20 World Cup that we will not play the match against India," Pakistan PM said while addressing the federal cabinet in Islamabad. Sharif added that they have decided to boycott the India match after careful assessment and called for an appropriate decision."There should be no politics in sports," he said. "We have taken this stand after deliberating on it carefully," he said, calling it an "appropriate decision".
Earlier, Pakistan decided to boycott its group-stage match against India in the T20 World Cup after the Pakistan government posted on X that the Pakistan Team "shall not take the field" in the match against India without providing any reason.
Following the Pakistan Government's decision, the International Cricket Council (ICC) issued a statement saying that "selective participation" is not fair to the "fundamental premise of a global sporting event" and that it expects the PCB to explore a mutually acceptable resolution that protects the interests of all stakeholders.
ICC said in a release that it has noted the Government of Pakistan's statement regarding the decision to instruct its national team to selectively participate in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026.
"While the ICC awaits official communication from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), 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," the release said.
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