Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Jan 31: Sudden cancellation by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) of an event on Saturday related with the coming men’s T20 World Cup to be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka adding to the speculation over the country’s participation in the global event.
Pakistan’s uneasy relationship with the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 entered another holding pattern on Saturday after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) abruptly cancelled the planned unveiling of the national team’s World Cup kit, citing “unavoidable circumstances.”
The reveal had been scheduled to take place immediately after the toss of the second T20I against Australia played at Lahore. According to sources, the decision to postpone the kit launch was directly linked to the lack of formal clearance from the country’s Foreign Office, which is expected to announce a final call regarding their participation on Monday. Until then, the PCB appears unwilling to take even symbolic steps that could be interpreted as a confirmation of participation.
Apparently, the PCB may be particularly worried because announcement of its 15-member squad for the world cup was taken as Pakistan’s confirmation of participating in the mega event. Officially, the board has maintained a measured tone, reiterating that it is aligned with government guidance.
Pakistan, is stuck in a waiting game, its cricketing roadmap intertwined with diplomatic considerations beyond the PCB’s control. For players and team management, the uncertainty adds another layer of distraction to an already demanding international calendar. While the squad continues to prepare as if participation is imminent, the absence of a definitive green light leaves room for speculation and concern.
Monday’s expected announcement from the Foreign Office is now pivotal. The PCB has already scheduled its T20 World Cup squad to depart for Colombo early on February 2, that is even before the government announced its views on the team’s participation, virtually ruling out any possibility of boycotting either the tournament or the marquee clash against India on February 15.
“The PCB has already made travel arrangements for the World Cup squad to leave early morning on February 2 for Colombo,” a source said. The source added that PCB had shown its full support to Bangladesh Cricket Board over their “security concerns” in playing in India and could not do anything further without damaging its own position within the ICC.
Pakistan is scheduled to play all its matches in Sri Lanka including the final if Pakistan figured in it under a tripartite agreement between the BCCI, PCB and ICC under which all India-Pakistan matches in ICC events until 2027 will be played at neutral venues. “Keep in mind Pakistan’s entire World Cup schedule is in Sri Lanka, including the final if they qualify. So on what grounds can they boycott the tournament or the match against India?” several Pakistani veterans have asked. With no plans to travel to India and neutral venues to play, the grounds for boycotting the World Cup to show solidarity with Bangladesh ousted from tournament because of its refusal to play matches in India, looked increasingly thin from logistical perspective.