‘If you withdraw at last moment…’ Sunil Gavaskar slams Pakistan boycott
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "‘If you withdraw at last moment…’ Sunil Gavaskar slams Pakistan boycott")
Sunil Gavaskar slams Pakistan boycott Photograph: (AFP/PCB)
If Pakistan sticks to its decision, the T20 World Cup 2026 will be the first men’s ICC event since 2010 without an India-Pakistan clash.
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has criticised Pakistan’s players and cricket board for threatening to skip their group-stage match against India in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. The match, scheduled for Feb 15 in Colombo, may not take place after the Pakistan government said the team will play in the tournament but will not face India in the group stage. If Pakistan sticks to the boycott, India would win by default. However, Gavaskar believes Pakistan could still reverse their decision and play the match.
“I think in the next four or five days, when reactions start pouring in from across the world and even from their former players, there is a possibility that Pakistan will change their stance. Pakistan players have set examples. They keep coming back from retirement. So something like that might happen before the 15th,” said Gavaskar to India Today.
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He further pointed out that the problem was the last-minute withdrawal and urged that the ICC should act if Pakistan decide to maintain their stance.
“Definitely, I think if you withdraw at the last moment, that is an issue. If you withdraw earlier on, that’s another matter altogether. But if you withdraw at the last moment, on the eve of the tournament, then yes, I think certainly the ICC should come in and take some action,” he added.
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If Pakistan sticks to its decision, the T20 World Cup 2026 will be the first men’s ICC event since 2010 without an India-Pakistan clash.
India and Pakistan are in a Group A with Namibia, the USA and the Netherlands. The T20 World Cup 2026 starts on Feb 7, with India playing against the USA at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
