Bangladesh will not be traveling to India to play in the T20 World Cup. In solidarity with the Tigers, Pakistan had been considering boycotting the T20 World Cup as well. After a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi stated that a final decision on the matter would be announced either on Friday or Monday.
However, while uncertainty still surrounds Pakistan’s official participation in the World Cup, a report has revealed details of the team’s travel plans. According to Indian media outlet NDTV, citing a report by Telecom Asia Sport, a source said:
“Despite the uncertainty over participation, the Pakistan team has already booked an Air Lanka flight from Lahore to Colombo, along with the Australian team.”
Quoting the same source, Telecom Asia reported that Naqvi also sought advice from President Asif Ali Zardari and the military leadership, and later met with former PCB chairmen Najam Sethi and Ramiz Raja. Both reportedly supported sending the team to Sri Lanka and advised against boycotting the match against India.
Not only that, Pakistan’s former star cricketers have also expressed frustration over the PCB’s delay in announcing a final decision. Many of them have advised against boycotting the World Cup and instead encouraged participation in the upcoming 2026 T20 World Cup.
Ahead of the T20 World Cup, Pakistan will play a three-match T20 series against Australia in Lahore, starting today, Thursday. They will play their first World Cup match on 7 February against the Netherlands, while their highly anticipated clash against India is scheduled for 15 February.
