Sri Lanka urge Pakistan to reconsider India game boycott at T20 World Cup 2026

• Sri Lanka warns boycott could cause big financial losses.
• Pakistan set to face Netherlands in T20 WC opening match.
• PM Shehbaz calls for the eradication of politics from sports.

Sri Lanka’s cricket board on Thursday urged Pakistan to reconsider its decision to boycott their first-round encounter with arch-rival India in the T20 World Cup co-hosted by the island.

Pakistan and India have not played bilateral cricket for more than a decade and meet only at global or regional tournament events.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) told the Pakistan Cricket Board that a boycott would result in a financial hit and also hurt the island’s tourism industry, which is still recovering from the 2022 economic meltdown.

"Any non-participation will have wide-ranging implications, including substantial financial exposure for SLC and the potential loss of anticipated tourism inflows," the board said.

"We urge you to take into account the exceptional circumstances, the enduring relationship between our two boards, and the broader interests of the game of cricket," Sri Lanka Cricket said, pleading with Pakistan to play their scheduled match against India.

India will start the T20 World Cup on home soil against the US on Saturday. Pakistan will play their first match of the tournament, also on Saturday, in Colombo against the Netherlands.

Despite Pakistan’s boycott of their scheduled match against India on February 15 in Colombo, the arch-rivals may be forced to play each other if they reach the knockout stage.

If Pakistan were to face India in a semi-final or final, they would consult their government, Pakistan skipper Salman Agha said on Thursday.

The development came in the aftermath of the government of Pakistan's decision to bar its national men's cricket team from taking the field against arch-rivals India.

Earlier this week, reports emerged within Indian media that the International Cricket Council (ICC) has begun exploring back-channel options to persuade Pakistan to reconsider its stance on the T20 World Cup fixture against India.

It is understood that ICC Deputy Chairman Imran Khawaja has been assigned the responsibility of initiating informal talks with Pakistan on the matter.

Khawaja, who represents the Singapore Cricket Association, has reportedly been tasked with engaging the PCB in an effort to convince it to agree to the high-profile encounter.

Indian media further claim that he has been asked to act as a mediator and initiate dialogue with the PCB to ease tensions surrounding the fixture.

'Politics-free sports'

A day earlier, PM Shehbaz Sharif called for the eradication of politics from sports as he reiterated the decision to bar the national team from taking the field against arch-rivals India at the 20-team mega event, scheduled to run from February 7 to March 8.

The premier, while addressing the federal cabinet, termed the government's decision "appropriate", and shared that it was taken after a collective and careful deliberation in response to the politicisation of the sports.

"We have taken a clear stand regarding the T20 World Cup that we will not play the match against India," he said.

"There should be no politics in sports," he said. "We have taken this stand after deliberating on it carefully," he said, calling it an "appropriate decision".