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Pakistan National Cricket Team: Pakistan’s cricket team on Monday departed for Sri Lanka to participate in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, scheduled to be held from February 7 to March 8 in India and Sri Lanka. The 15-member squad is led by Salman Ali Agha and features senior players Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Fakhar Zaman. According to the media reports, the team will rest for the first two days after arrival before starting match preparations. Pakistan are scheduled to play a warm-up match against Ireland on Feb. 4 at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo. The same venue will host Pakistan’s first two group matches. Pakistan ended days of uncertainty by confirming they will take part in the T20 World Cup starting February 7, but will not play their group-stage match against India scheduled for February 15. The Government of Pakistan has issued directives instructing the national team not to take part in the fixture. “The Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan grants approval to the Pakistan Cricket Team to participate in the ICC World T20 2026, however, the Pakistan Cricket Team shall not take the field in the match scheduled on 15th February 2026 against India,” the statement said,” a post by the Pakistan government on X said.Hours after the decision, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said that "selective participation" is not fair with the "fundamental premise of a global sporting event" and that it expects the PCB to explore a mutually acceptable resolution, which protects the interests of all stakeholders. In a statement, the ICC said it had noted the government’s position and was awaiting official communication from the Pakistan Cricket Board. "While the ICC awaits official communication from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), 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," the release said.It said that ICC tournaments are built on sporting integrity, competitiveness, consistency and fairness, and selective participation undermines the spirit and sanctity of the competitions. "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. The ICC hopes that the PCB will consider the significant and long-term implications for cricket in its own country as this is likely to impact the global cricket ecosystem, which it is itself a member and beneficiary of," the release said. It said ICC's priority remains the successful delivery of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup which should also be the responsibility of all its members including the PCB. "It expects the PCB to explore a mutually acceptable resolution, which protects the interests of all stakeholders," the release said.Pakistan’s participation in the tournament had been uncertain in recent weeks. PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi had earlier said the government would take the final call after Bangladesh were removed from the World Cup on Jan. 24. Bangladesh were excluded after refusing to play matches in India, citing security concerns. Pakistan had supported Bangladesh’s request for a neutral venue and later accused the ICC of favouring India. Naqvi met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif earlier this week and said all options were being considered, with a decision expected by the end of the week. Speculation had grown that Pakistan would avoid only the India match rather than boycott the entire event. That view strengthened after Pakistan announced its World Cup squad before the ICC deadline and indicated it would travel to Sri Lanka, a co-host of the tournament along with India.This decision means the 2026 T20 World Cup is set to become the first men’s ICC tournament since 2010 not to feature an India-Pakistan match in the group stage. There is no clarity yet on what would happen if the two teams were to meet later in the knockout rounds. The India-Pakistan match is usually the biggest draw at any ICC event and attracts the highest television audience. Since 2012, the ICC has placed the two teams in the same group at global tournaments, even though they have not played a bilateral series for more than a decade because of strained political relations.By not playing India, Pakistan will forfeit two points. Under ICC playing conditions, Pakistan’s net run rate will also take a hit, while India’s will remain unchanged.Pakistan are placed in Group A with India, Namibia, Netherlands and the United States. All of Pakistan’s group matches are scheduled in Sri Lanka. The team will open their campaign against the Netherlands on Feb. 7, followed by matches against the United States on Feb. 10 and Namibia on Feb. 18. Pakistan T20 World Cup squadSalman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan (wicketkeeper) and Usman Tariq.

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