Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has cut through the noise surrounding Pakistan’s uncertain stance on the T20 World Cup 2026. He has called the entire episode “utter nonsense” and questioned the logic behind the PCB’s sudden posturing.
Speaking to RevSportz, Pathan did not mince his words while reacting to Pakistan’s threat of withdrawing from the tournament in the aftermath of Bangladesh being replaced by Scotland. “Nonsense! Nonsense! This is absolutely utter nonsense from Pakistan. If you have agreed to a hybrid model before and to play in Sri Lanka, then why create this situation now? It is nothing other than utter nonsense,” Pathan said
Pakistan still undecided over T20 World Cup 2026
After Bangladesh refused to travel to India citing security concerns, the ICC carried out its assessment, found no credible threat, and moved swiftly to replace them with Scotland. Pakistan, the only board to publicly back Bangladesh, then escalated matters by hinting that their own participation would depend on guidance from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
That is where Pathan sees little merit in the argument. Pakistan’s matches, including the marquee India clash on February 15, are scheduled to be played entirely in Sri Lanka under a previously agreed hybrid arrangement. From a cricketing perspective, nothing has changed for India.
While PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi has labelled Bangladesh’s stand “principled” and accused the ICC of double standards, several former Pakistan players and administrators have urged restraint. Mohammad Hafeez, Inzamam-ul-Haq, and even former PCB officials have warned that a pullout would only hurt Pakistan’s own interests, damage relations with the ICC, and create unnecessary financial and diplomatic fallout. According to reports, the ICC has already threatened Pakistan. If they boycott, the ICC would hurt Pakistan financially, not allowing them any bilaterals, NOCs and Asia Cup either.
While Pakistan have named their T20 World Cup 2026 squad. Yet, they haven’t confirmed their participation, despite PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi already meeting PM Sharif. It seems like Naqvi has been advised to send the Pakistan team to Colombo. Reports had suggested that if Pakistan doesn’t pull out of the T20 World Cup, they’ll boycott the India match on February 15.
Pakistan’s T20 World Cup 2026 schedule
| Date | Match | Teams | Venue | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed, Feb 4 | 9th Match, Warm-up | Ireland vs Pakistan | Colombo, Sinhalese Sports Club | 11:30 AM |
| Sat, Feb 7 | 1st Match, Group A | Pakistan vs Netherlands | Colombo, Sinhalese Sports Club | 11:00 AM |
| Tue, Feb 10 | 12th Match, Group A | Pakistan vs USA | Colombo, Sinhalese Sports Club | 7:00 PM |
| Sun, Feb 15 | 27th Match, Group A | India vs Pakistan | Colombo, R. Premadasa Stadium | 7:00 PM |
| Wed, Feb 18 | 35th Match, Group A | Pakistan vs Namibia | Colombo, Sinhalese Sports Club | 3:00 PM |
