'Useless Team': Owaisi Slams Pakistan Over Decision To Skip India Match At T20 World Cup

Last Updated:February 07, 2026, 11:22 IST

Pakistan has decided not to take the field for its group-stage match against India on February 15 in Colombo, even as it continues to participate in the rest of the tournament.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday strongly criticised Pakistan’s decision to boycott its scheduled match against India in the T20 World Cup 2026, calling the move “absurd" and taking a swipe at the Pakistan cricket team.

Pakistan has decided not to take the field for its group-stage match against India on February 15 in Colombo, even as it continues to participate in the rest of the tournament.

Reacting to the development, Owaisi said, “India is hosting the T20 World Cup and that useless Pakistani team says they won’t play against India. We should be telling them, ‘Why did you come here? Get out of here.’ They’re saying they won’t play, and everyone is sitting silently and listening."

Pakistan’s decision was communicated by the Pakistan government in a social media post earlier this week, which did not initially specify the reason behind the boycott

On Wednesday, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif clarified that the decision was linked to the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) move to remove Bangladesh from the T20 World Cup after Dhaka refused to play its matches in India.

Addressing his cabinet, Sharif said Pakistan had taken a “clear and considered stand" and would not play against India in protest.

“We have taken a very clear position that there should be no politics on the sports field," Sharif said, adding that Pakistan was standing in solidarity with Bangladesh. He described the decision as “appropriate" and said the government would stand by it.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has so far not issued a formal public statement on the matter.

However, the ICC responded within hours of the Pakistani government’s announcement, expressing hope that the PCB would reconsider its stance.

The global body warned that the decision could have “significant and long-term implications" for cricket in Pakistan and impact the wider international cricket ecosystem.

The Prime Minister’s remarks appear to confirm that the boycott is tied to what PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan’s interior minister, has described as the ICC’s “double standards" in its treatment of Bangladesh.

Naqvi had earlier criticised the ICC for committing “injustice" by excluding Bangladesh from the tournament.

According to Firstpost, the ICC is reportedly making efforts to persuade Pakistan to reverse its decision.

ICC deputy chairman Imran Khwaja and Emirates Cricket Board general secretary Mubashshir Usmani have been in talks with Naqvi and Salman Naseer, CEO of the Pakistan Super League and an advisor to the PCB chairman.

Sources said the ICC initially warned the PCB of possible legal and financial consequences if it went ahead with the boycott. However, the tone of discussions reportedly shifted after the Pakistan board indicated that financial losses were not a concern.

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