Pakistan land in Sri Lanka for T20 World Cup, will not play against India

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan national cricket team landed in Sri Lanka ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, while the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced that the team will not play its scheduled match against India.

“The Pakistan team has arrived in Sri Lanka and will take full rest today and tomorrow,” the PCB media office stated on its official X account.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi to discuss the national team’s participation in the tournament.

“The Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan grants approval to the Pakistan Cricket Team to participate in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026; however, the Pakistan Cricket Team shall not take the field in the match scheduled for February 15, 2026, against India,” the statement read.

The announcement comes amid questions over Pakistan’s participation following the ICC’s decision to replace Bangladesh with Scotland, after Bangladesh refused to tour India due to security concerns. Bangladesh had requested that their matches be relocated to co-host Sri Lanka, but the ICC rejected the request.

ICC responds to Pakistan’s decision

The International Cricket Council noted Pakistan’s decision to “selectively participate” while waiting for official confirmation.

“The 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 ICC said.

The governing body called on the PCB to consider the “significant and long-term implications” for the global cricket ecosystem and explore a mutually acceptable resolution to protect the interests of all stakeholders.

Tournament

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 is scheduled to begin on Feb. 6, with Pakistan originally set to open its campaign against the Netherlands. Pakistan is in Group A, which features India, Namibia, the Netherlands, and the United States.

The team’s preparations in Sri Lanka will include training and a warm-up match against Ireland on Feb. 4.

Schedule

According to the ICC, the Pakistan team's schedule for the T20 World Cup 2026 is as follows:

Feb. 6: vs Netherlands

Feb. 10: vs United States

Feb. 15: vs India

Feb. 18: vs Namibia

Pakistan Squad for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has named the 15-member squad for the tournament:

Salman Ali Agha (Captain)

Babar Azam

Fakhar Zaman

Abrar Ahmed

Faheem Ashraf

Khawaja Muhammad Nafi

Muhammad Nawaz

Muhammad Salman Mirza

Naseem Shah

Sahibzada Farhan

Saim Ayub

Shadab Khan

Shaheen Shah Afridi

Usman Khan

Usman Tariq