Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif Bluffs, Again; Gives Nonsensical Reason Behind Boycott of T20 World Cup Match vs India

ICC T20 World Cup 2026: In an unprecedented move, the Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday, openly revealed the reason behind the decision to boycott the T20 World Cup 2026 match against India. For the unversed, the Pakistan government had already announced that the Men in Green will feature in the T20 WC, but will forfeit the game against India which is scheduled to take place on February 15. 

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‘We are with Bangladesh’

Sharif claimed that the move has been made to support Bangladesh, which most reckon is a bluff. He also said that there should not be any politics in sport. 

"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.

It would be interesting to see if Pakistan actually go on to boycott the big-ticket game or make an U-turn at the last-minute. Multiple reports claim that the ICC is in talks with the PCB and a change of mind could happen. It is no secret that in case the Pakistan team actually boycott the game, their would be sanctions levied against them. 

Pakistan are scheduled to play their tournament opener against the Netherlands on February 7. 

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Pakistan squad for ICC T20 WC: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan, Usman Tariq.