Netherlands batter Max O'Dowd has said that Pakistan's decision to boycott the game against India is of no concern to them as they are firmly focussed on shocking the 2009 champions in the T20 World Cup opener on Saturday.

"Look, to be honest, I don't have much to say about Pakistan boycotting against India, that's completely out of our control. We just kind of focus on what we're doing, what we need to do tomorrow, which is to try and beat Pakistan," O'Dowd said on the eve of the clash.

Ahead of Pakistan's T20 World Cup opener against the Netherlands, captain Salman Ali Agha emphasized that team balance takes precedence over reputations, stating the management is prepared to bench seniors like Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman if they don't fit the required combination. 

Despite Babar's recent struggles-notably a poor strike rate in the Big Bash League-he was included in the squad, but Agha has made it clear that performance and fitness will dictate the final XI.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has set conditions before the International Cricket Council (ICC) to reconsider their decision to boycott the T20 World Cup 2026 match against India, according to a report by The Telegraph. 

Sri Lanka also reminded Pakistan that they were among the first major teams to tour Pakistan following the 2009 attack in Lahore. International matches did not take place in Pakistan for a long period following the attack on the Sri Lankan team in March 2009.

The letter also referred to cooperation done by the Sri Lanka Cricket in the past. In the letter, SLC said its national team has toured Pakistan multiple times despite challenging and sensitive conditions, including periods marked by serious security concerns when other teams were reluctant to travel. It said those tours were undertaken in good faith and in the spirit of sportsmanship and mutual respect between the two boards. SLC added that it now expects the same sense of reciprocity, stressing that Sri Lanka has provided full assurances on security, neutrality, and professionalism for all matches hosted in the country.

Sri Lanka have requested that Pakistan reconsider its decision to boycott the group stage match against India in Colombo on February 15. 

The Pakistan government announced that its national team will take part in the competition but will not play the match against India. 

Amid the standoff between the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the International Cricket Council (ICC), Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) stands to lose substantial revenue from ticket sales if the match does not take place. 

In a formal letter, Sri Lanka requested Pakistan to not boycott the fixture and play the match as scheduled.

Former BCCI chief selector Chetan Sharma made a bold prediction that Pakistan will make a U-turn on their decision to boycott the T20 World Cup 2026 match against India. “What was Bangladesh players' fault? None. This is politics. Bangladesh has elections on the 12th. After that, you'll see a U-turn. There will be a statement saying, ‘Considering public sentiment, cricket shouldn't suffer, Pakistan will play against India.' This stance is still about the Bangladesh election only. I've been a politician; I've contested elections. After the elections, maybe even the military chief will say sport should be kept free of politics and the match should go ahead,” he told India Today.

The match against USA is also not going to be a cake-walk for Pakistan. USA eliminated Pakistan in the 2024 World Cup in Texas after a thrilling Super Over. Six players - Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, wicketkeeper-batter Usman Khan, Naseem Shah, Shadab Khan and Shaheen Shah Afridi - featured against the USA. 

Amid all the drama surrounding its India match boycott, the question remains whether Pakistan will be able to advance from the T20 World Cup group stage. Apart from India, Pakistan will be facing USA, Namibia and Netherlands in the group stage. If Pakistan proceeds with the boycott, it cannot afford to lose any of its other group games.

There could be a fresh twist to the drama now with SLC writing a letter to PCB. SLC sources told PTI that its executive committee met on Tuesday and decided to write to the Pakistan Cricket Board, urging the Pakistanis to reconsider their controversial decision. The letter was eventually dispatched on Thursday.

In the letter, SLC warned the PCB of potential adverse impact on tourism including cancellations of hotel bookings, flight reservations and logistical supplier inconveniences. The SLC also mentioned in the letter that it was ready to host the sellout fixture at the Premadasa Stadium.

Co-host Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) on Thursday urged its Pakistani counterpart PCB to reconsider the decision to boycott the high stakes India-Pakistan contest here on February 15 citing the heavy losses it would inflict on all the stakeholders of the T20 World Cup. Pakistan government announced the boycott of the marquee game against India in support of Bangladesh who withdrew from the World Cup citing concerns in India despite low threat perception from the International Cricket Council.

Calling for consistency in world cricket, former England captain Nasser Hussain has questioned the ICC's handling of Bangladesh's T20 World Cup ouster and asked whether the governing body would have been as strict if India had refused to play in a country at short notice. The International Cricket Council replaced Bangladesh with Scotland in the T20 World Cup after the former refused to play their matches in India citing security issues.

"If India, a month before a tournament, said 'our government does not want us to play in a country for a World Cup', would the ICC have been so firm and said, 'You know the rules, bad luck, we're knocking you out?'" Hussain asked on the 'Sky Sports Cricket Podcast'.

Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha voiced disappointment over Bangladesh's absence from the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 and expressed confidence in his side's form and preparations as the tournament approaches, according to ICC. Bangladesh were dropped from the tournament after refusing to travel to India for their scheduled fixtures and were replaced by Scotland in the expanded 20-team competition.

Reacting to the development, Agha extended his support to Bangladesh. "Well, they are our brothers. I thank them for supporting us. And I'll say they can support us in the tournament as well. And it's really sad to see that they are not playing the World Cup," he said.

"The India game is not in our control. It was the government's decision and if we have to play them in the semi-final or the final, we will go back to them and act on their advice," Agha told reporters in Colombo today.

Asked on what he would like to say to those in control regarding the boycott situation, here's what India captain Suryakumar Yadav said:

"I feel it’s not an easy job. It’s not my job (to send a message). I’m sure they must be working out some way. But if it has come from another nation or government, (it’s about) how can they help as well. I know it’s a difficult situation. As I said, if we’re told and the fixtures are ready, we’ll definitely go ahead."

Suryakumar Yadav was further asked on Pakistan's decision to boycott the match against India, and here's what he said:

"Their decision is not in my control. I wish I could take the decision, but it’s their call. We have been told that we have to play a game on the 15th. We played them three times in the Asia Cup at a neutral venue. Similarly, if we get an opportunity again in Colombo, we’ll play again."

India captain Suryakumar Yadav: "I think mindset is pretty clear. We are not said no to playing the match. It came from the other side. ICC has given the official fixtures. BCCI and the government has decided on a neutral venue along with ICC. Our flight is booked for Colombo. So we are going for sure."

Suryakumar Yadav said this in the press conference, while answering a question by NDTV.

Scotland achieved a place in the T20 World Cup 2026 in unusual circumstances as Bangladesh were replaced for not agreeing to travel to India. Here's what Scotland captain Richie Berrington said regarding their preparations, speaking at the T20 World Cup captains' day press conference.

"It's been unique circumstances for us. Preparations have been different than other teams. Every opportunity, we want to make most of. Really enjoying our time here so far," Berrington said, according to RevSportz.

Indian cricket team captain Suryakumar Yadav will be part of the second round of the T20 World Cup 2026 Captain's Day press conferences. He will be talking to the media in Mumbai and it will be interesting to see if he says anything about the ongoing controversy over Pakistan's boycott of their match against India.

Amid ongoing drama for the upcoming T20 World Cup, Bangladesh Youth and Sports Advisor Asif Nazrul thanked Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who stated that Pakistan's decision to boycott their match against India was a show of solidarity with Bangladesh in the wake of the country's removal from the tournament.

Pakistan's share in the 2024-27 ICC cycle comes up to approximately USD 144 million. This amount could be at risk if Pakistan goes ahead with their boycott and the ICC decide to impose financial penalties. 

Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha has reportedly expressed his sympathy towards Bangladesh during the T20 World Cup 2026 captains day press conference.

"Bangladeshis are our brothers; we are grateful for their support for Pakistan. It’s a pity that they are not playing in the tournament," Agha said in the press conference, as reported by RevSportz.

The captains of all the sides of the T20 World Cup will be attending press conferences in two separate batches today. The first press conference is set to begin shortly in Colombo, where captains of Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Australia, Ireland, Netherlands, Oman, UAE and Zimbabwe will speak.

It will be interesting to see whether any of the captains say something regarding the boycott saga.

As per a report by The Indian Express, a BCCI source termed Pakistan's boycott stance as "unreasonable", given the prior understanding that India and Pakistan would play in a neutral venue.

"The Pakistan and Bangladesh boards are mixing politics with cricket. Despite the Indian government's repeated statements ensuring security to their team, the Bangladesh team didn't travel to India. Now, Pakistan too is being unreasonable. There has been an understanding that India and Pakistan will play at a neutral venue in ICC events. Boycotting the game is just mischief," the official said.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has publicly spoken regarding Pakistan's decision to boycott their T20 World Cup game against India.

"There should be no politics in sports; it is our clear stand. We have taken this stand after careful deliberation. We are with Bangladesh, and I think this is the right and proper decision," he said while addressing the federal cabinet in Islamabad.

According to the report by Prothom Alo, an official closely involved in the lead-up to Bangladesh's exclusion expressed concern regarding the ICC's declining revenue as a result of the axing.

"This will directly affect the ICC's central revenue pool. Like everyone else, we are also stakeholders in that fund. Take Kenya or Uganda, for example. They would be satisfied with USD 100,000-200,000. But given our infrastructure, how will we survive if ICC revenues decline?" the BCB director said.

Here's what a senior director of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) said, on condition of anonymity, to leading Bangladesh publication Prothom Alo, expressing his dissatisfaction regarding Pakistan's boycott:
"If the India-Pakistan match does not take place, the entire cricketing world will face financial losses. Even our dividend will decrease. We did not want such losses."

An interesting report has emerged claiming that a section of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is unhappy with Pakistan boycotting their match against India,. The major reason for the BCB's concern is that boycotting the high-profile clash could result in financial losses for the entire cricket fraternity.

The report further claims that the BCCI believes that Pakistan's argument is 'weak' in nature, particularly given that Pakistan did not have any issues in playing India in the U19 World Cup 2026.

"When Pakistan had no problem playing India in the Under-19 World Cup on the same day their government put out the post to boycott the T20 World Cup game, this wouldn't cut ice. Besides, when it comes to the Pakistan Cricket Board and the Pakistan government, there is not much difference. The Pakistan prime minister is the patron-in-chief of PCB and the board's chief is a minister," a BCCI source told The Indian Express.

By triggering the 'Force Majeure' clause, the PCB would be referring to "unforeseen circumstances that can prevent a contract from being fulfilled". As per the report's sources, Pakistan are likely to argue that it is an 'extraordinary' situation.

"This is their last resort since they don't have any other reason to not play India," an official said, as per the report.

According to a report by The Indian Express, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) could enforce the 'Force Majeure' clause in order to try and avoid the heavy sanctions that could come their way from the International Cricket Council (ICC).

ICC, earlier, 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.

Shehbaz 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."

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif 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.

Sources told Telecom Asia Sport that the Pakistan government has taken legal advice on the consequences and will back the Board against any possible ICC action. Sharif also met former PCB chief Najam Sethi before meeting Naqvi in Lahore on Sunday. "Sethi also advised the PM to take a strong action against India as under Sethi's chairmanship India also backed out on an agreement in 2016," the report said quoting sources.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan team flew to Colombo on Monday and reached the Island late in the evening. PCB indicating it will counter any ICC meeting with Naqvi allowing a lawyer to the team officials in any meeting and take the issue head on.

Not just valuable T20 World Cup points, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) could face massive financial losses if the ICC's all-powerful governing board decides to penalise them for refusing to play the T20 World Cup match against India on February 15 in Colombo. 

Pakistan's share in the ICC's financial cycle 2024/27 comes to approximately USD 144 million at the highest pay out rate of USD 38 million distributed to the PCB annually. "Basically if the ICC decides to penalise Pakistan for not playing India, the PCB could take a big hit financially as the ICC share in the current financial cycle comes to approximately 40 billion PKR," an insider told news agency PTI.

Legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar feels that Pakistan's decision to boycott the match against India could force the ICC to put the two teams in different groups going forward.

"This could well be the time that the ICC decides to go ahead with the draw as it is, without looking to specifically club India and Pakistan in the same group," said Gavaskar on India Today.

While Pakistan has decided boycott the match in Colombo on February 15 on instructions from their government, it hasn't yet officially specified the reasons to the ICC.

According to a report in Times of India, the decision could be deemed as a violation of the contract co-signed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

"PCB is violating a contract that itself is a co-signee of. It states that India and Pakistan agree to participate in ICC events and play against each other at neutral venues. There is no force majeure clause in that agreement," the report quoted a source as saying.

R Ashwin has blasted Pakistan's approach of treating matches against India as must-not-lose contests, instead of focusing on collective goals.

"The messaging was very clear: whatever happens, you cannot lose against India. That's not how sport is played. You have to play in a way that helps you qualify and win the World Cup," said Ashwin. 

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar said that Pakistan's decision to boycott the high-profile match 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.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) could reportedly make a U-turn on its T20 World Cup stance.

According to a report by PTI, PCB chief Naqvi, who is also the Interior Minister of Pakistan, might just make a U-turn once the general elections are held in Bangladesh on February 12 and a democratic government takes charge instead of the present one headed by Muhammad Yunus.

Pakistan will have two days to reconsider its stance as the elections in Bangladesh will take place on February 12, while the match against India is scheduled for February 15.

"Naqvi more than a cricket administrator is a politician, who is not one bit bothered about the welfare of the national team. He is trying to score a brownie point with this and could well flip once elections are held on February 12.

Click here to read full report.

Former Pakistan batter Basit Ali feels that boycotting the match against India will not be good for the future of the sport. For the unversed, if Pakistan go ahead with their decision to boycott the match, it will be considered a forfeit and India will be awarded two points.

"If Pakistan doesn't play India and the latter earns two points by forfeiture, it will damage cricket and the sport's future," he said on YouTube.

The Pakistan squad has already reached Colombo ahead of the T20 World Cup and they are scheduled to play a warm-up match against Ireland at the SSC Stadium in Colombo.

According to media reports, the next 48 hours will be crucial with Pakistan and ICC holding 'back-channel talks' over the standoff. The ICC has not received any official communication but it has made it clear that Pakistan can face financial sanctions if they decide to not play the match against India.

Pakistan decided to boycott the match in Colombo on February 15 on instructions of their government but haven't yet officially specified the reasons to ICC. As reported by PTI, there is a possibility that the ICC will withhold the entire annual revenue share of Pakistan, which is around USD 35 million and pay the broadcasters from that purse.

India great Kris Srikkanth took a brutal dig at Pakistan over their decision to boycott the T20 World Cup match against India. "Empty vessels make more noise. Pakistan are scared. Now, in the U19 World Cup also they lost. So they are thinking of giving a walkover. Whether they play or not, the game is anyway a walkover for India. It does not matter if they come or not. In the Asia Cup, they played all the games against India," said Srikkanth.

The ICC has warned the Pakistan Cricket Board that it faces the prospect of legal action from T20 World Cup's official broadcasters JioStar for boycotting its February 15 game against India, a PCB source told PTI.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has asked deputy chairman Imran Khwaja to hold back-channel talks with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) over its T20 World Cup 2026 stance, according to a report

Hello and welcome to the live coverage of the controversy surrounding Pakistan's participation in the T20 World Cup 2026. The ICC has still not received any official confirmation from PCB regarding the matter.