Pakistan has approved the participation of its national men’s cricket team in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup, with captain Salman Agha and the squad set to travel to Sri Lanka. However, authorities have decided that the team will not play its scheduled Group A match against India on February 15 in Colombo, according to media reports.
A report by Geo News said the decision was taken by the Pakistani government as a form of protest against what it described as biased governance by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
“The Pakistan team has been instructed not to play the February 15 match against India as a protest,” a source was quoted as saying, adding that “the principles of justice and equality have been undermined by biased decisions.”
Officials in Pakistan have expressed dissatisfaction over the ICC’s handling of Bangladesh’s participation in the tournament. Bangladesh was replaced by Scotland after refusing to travel to India, citing security concerns. Pakistani officials believe Bangladesh was treated unfairly after its concerns were not accommodated.
While Pakistan decided against withdrawing from the entire tournament, it opted to forfeit only the match against India. If Pakistan does not take the field, India would be awarded two points under tournament regulations.
However, Pakistan could face disciplinary action from the ICC, as the match was scheduled to be played at a neutral venue in Sri Lanka under an agreement between the ICC and the respective cricket boards.
The Pakistan team is scheduled to arrive in Colombo on Monday, February 2, and will play a warm-up match against Ireland on February 4. Pakistan will open its Group A campaign on February 7 against the Netherlands at the R Premadasa Stadium.
Speaking after Pakistan’s recent T20I series win against Australia, captain Salman Agha said players had no role in the decision regarding the India match and would follow directives issued by the government and the cricket board.
Pakistan is placed in Group A alongside India, Namibia, the Netherlands and the United States. The team is also scheduled to play the USA on February 10 and Namibia on February 18. Boycotting the India fixture could affect Pakistan’s chances of qualifying for the next round of the tournament. (Source: Hindusthantimes)
