Try banning Pakistan: Ex-Pak cricketer challenges ICC over India match boycott
India Today
T20 World Cup 2026: Former Pakistan batter Basit Ali criticised the International Cricket Council, daring it to take punitive action against Pakistan if the team forfeits its match against India on February 15. Ali argued that the Pakistan Cricket Board, acting on government directives, cannot be penalised by the global cricket body.
Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has challenged the International Cricket Council (ICC) to penalise Pakistan following its decision to boycott the T20 World Cup fixture against India, arguing that such calls are misplaced given that government instructions have historically shaped decisions taken by cricket boards.
Basit’s sharp reaction comes amid reports that the ICC is considering severe sanctions against Pakistan should it go ahead with the boycott of the high-profile match against India, scheduled for February 15 in Colombo. The ICC board is expected to meet later this week to discuss Pakistan’s threat and determine its course of action.
Pakistan had agreed to play all their matches in Sri Lanka — including the fixture against India — under a hybrid model worked out between the ICC, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). However, the Pakistan government announced on Sunday that the senior men’s team would not take the field against India in Colombo.
Speaking on his YouTube channel Game Plan, Basit accused India of setting precedents that Pakistan is now being criticised for following.
“India started this behaviour. Shaking hands is not mandatory. I’m not even going to talk about the decision of the Indian players not to shake hands with the Pakistan players. But the Indians refused to accept the Asia Cup trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief Mohsin Naqvi. They refused because the Indian government refused,” Basit said.
Questioning the outrage around Pakistan’s stance, he added: “Now when we are boycotting a game because our government has asked us to, are we suddenly the bad guys? If India can do it, Pakistan can too!”
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