Pakistan Boycotts IND vs Pak Match: ‘Can't have double standards', former ICC chairman argues against sanctions

Former ICC chairman Ehsan Mani believes Pakistan are merely following instructions from its government.

“You can’t have double standards. So, unfortunately, again I come back to the fact that instead of dealing with the problem, the ICC just stood there as a bystander,” he said.

“You left the door open for any country to get its government involved. And, especially knowing that the chairman of the PCB (Mohsin Naqvi) is a serving minister of the government,” he added.

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has said that it is ‘no big deal’ if the IND vs PAK doesn't take place in the T20 World Cup 2026.

"The reason for that is obvious. It's that India and Pakistan are not in the same league anymore. Earlier, in the 90s and before, it was fun because Pakistan was a strong team. But, not anymore. Now, when India beats Pakistan, it is almost like India is beating the minnows. Earlier, you could have felt good on beating Pakistan," he said.

"You still have Australia, England, New Zealand and South Africa. Those are the matches to watch, and those are the teams that India needs to beat for us to feel proud about this Indian team. I think it is a non-event and is not going to bring down the value of the tournament," he added.

Cricket's governing body, the International Cricket Council (ICC) rejected Pakistan's decision.

"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," ICC release said.

"ICC tournaments are built on sporting integrity, competitiveness, consistency and fairness, and selective participation undermines the spirit and sanctity of the competitions."

The ICC said decision was not in the interest of the game.

"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."

Pakistan is not expected to alter its position, with a boycott of the match against India appearing likely. As per PTI, if the two sides face each other again in the knockout stages, Pakistan’s participation will hinge on clearance from the government.

BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla on Monday said the the International Cricket Council (ICC) was right in warning Pakistan of severe repercussions for its selective pullout from the high-profile T20 World Cup contest against India in Colombo on February 15.

Former ICC chairman Ehsan Mani has said that the International Cricket Council cannot impose penalties on Pakistan for refusing to play India. He pointed to India’s decision not to travel to Pakistan for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, which was cited as a government call.

Using the same reasoning, Mani argued that the ICC cannot take action against the Pakistan Cricket Board for boycotting the match against India, as the decision was made on similar grounds.

An India-Pakistan fixture in an ICC event generates revenue to the tune of a staggering "USD 250 million (over ₹2200 crore)", as per some estimates and the absence of the cash-cow fixture from the upcoming T20 World Cup is certain to cause heavy losses to all stakeholders, PTI reported.

Pakistan departed for the T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka on Monday and awaited any sanction from the International Cricket Council for refusing to play India in the tournament.

In video footage released by the Pakistan Cricket Board, the cricketers were dressed in their new World Cup kit as they boarded a bus from a hotel to the airport in Lahore.

The Pakistan Cricket Board was on Monday tight-lipped about its government's decision to boycott the T20 World Cup game against India but a well-placed source conceded that it has no choice but to follow instructions coming from the top.

Amid the drama, the national team left for Colombo to play its other games in the showpiece starting February 7. The side is expected to reach the Sri Lankan capital later this evening.

A top source in the PCB said the Board will follow government instructions in case another game against the arch-foes gets lined up during the knockout stage of the tournament, news agency PTI reported.

Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh slammed Pakistan's move to boycott their T20 World Cup group stage clash against India, seeking to know how Islamabad would benefit from the move, which he said was aimed at misleading people into thinking that the 'Men in Green' stood with Bangladesh. Speaking on his Youtube channel, Harbhajan said, "Begani ki shaadi mein abdul dewaana. There is no logic or proper basis to this decision. What benefit are you going to get from this? This is just to show arrogance. If you really think that you can do something like this, then be adamant. Let us see if you really have the guts."

Former Pakistan cricketer Danish Kaneria said: ‘Pakistan are scared of facing India, which is why they are refusing to play’.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is expected to convene a board meeting within the next 48 hours to deliberate on possible consequences for Pakistan, according to reports. The meeting is likely to be held on Tuesday or Wednesday this week.

BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla said, “ICC has issued a big statement, they have spoken about sportsmanship. We completely agree with the ICC. BCCI won't make any comments on it until we speak with the ICC.”

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said: “Pakistan has still not handed over the trophy to you. Today, PCB has taken a decision to boycott match against India. They are willing to pay a penalty, a fine, and face the consequences of all sporting bodies. It is a slap on the face of the Sports Minister of India and the BCCI that despite being the strongest, richest body in ICC, they are being boycotted today and India couldn’t take a stance when it should have."

Former Indian cricketer and TMC MP, Kirti Azad, said Pakistan refused to play against India in both teams' group-stage fixture of the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 because they know they can not win the match.

Kirti Azad said Pakistan is boycotting the T20 World Cup match against India because they "can't win" the match. He also said that India should have withdrawn from the World Cup to send an international message against terrorism afterthe Pahalgam terrorist attack in 2025.

"Pakistan knows it can't win. So it thought to save face... India had a great opportunity when 26 people were killed in Baisaran (valley in Pahalgam). India shouldn't have played in the World Cup then... This would have sent a message internationally that we are against terrorists and that Pakistan is the biggest terrorist state," Kirit Azad said.

BJP MP Shashank Mani on Monday called Pakistan 'rannchhod' as they have "run away" from the field by boycotting its match against India in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup.

Speaking with ANI, BJP MP Shashank Mani said, "When a player realises that they cannot win, they run away from the field. They are 'rannchhodd', they have run away from the field. If you are participating in a championship, you should play without any discrimination. We defeated them in Operation Sindoor and other wars. We would have defeated them here too. So, they are not even playing."

Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary on Monday said that Pakistan's decisions regarding sporting engagements with India would not affect the country, emphasising that politics should remain separate from sports.