T20 World Cup 2026: ‘ICC will have to kick them out’ - Former Indian pacer reacts to Pakistan’s India boycott

Former Indian cricketer Atul Wassan has urged the International Cricket Council (ICC) to remove Pakistan from the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 if they go ahead with a boycott of their Group A clash against India. The two arch-rivals were scheduled to meet in Colombo on February 15.

According to the latest government directives, Pakistan is all but certain to skip the fixture. If that happens, India will be awarded two points, while Pakistan will record a defeat, along with adverse implications for their net run rate.

"I feel a little sorry for them, and I'm also a little surprised. What do they want? As they say, "When destruction is imminent, wisdom fails." Because if Pakistan doesn't play this match and concede the points, and then you meet India later, will you still not play? So if you've decided this, then you haven't left ICC with any option. ICC will have to kick them out because it would be blackmail, wouldn't it?... They don't know the financial loss will be significant,” said Wassan as quoted by NDTV Sports.

Wassan further suggested that the boycott might come as a relief for the Pakistan players, given their poor record against India in World Cups. The Indian team has won 15 of their 16 encounters against Pakistan in ODI and T20 World Cups, including seven out of eight matches in the T20 format.

"They are trying to find every possible way to spite India, to retaliate against India... They don't understand that they're heading towards ruin. Maybe the Pakistani players will relax, because they know they're going to lose anyway, so the humiliation will be less," said Wassan.

Apart from India and Pakistan, Group A also includes Namibia, the Netherlands, and the USA. While India enters the tournament as defending champions, Pakistan endured an embarrassing first-round exit in the previous T20 World Cup held two years ago in the USA and West Indies.