Pakistan are pulling off a drama with India boycott in T20 World Cup: Harbhajan Singh
Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has launched a scathing attack on Pakistan over its decision to boycott the group-stage match against India at the T20 World Cup 2026, calling the move nothing more than political theatre dressed up as solidarity with Bangladesh. Harbhajan questioned both the intent and the timing of the decision, daring the Pakistan Cricket Board to stick to its stance instead of making a familiar last-minute retreat.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Harbhajan said Pakistan’s announcement lacked logic and was designed more to create noise than take a principled stand. He argued that if the PCB truly believed in the cause it was projecting, it should be prepared to face the consequences rather than leaving room for a convenient U-turn.
“Begani shaadi mein Abdullah deewana,” Harbhajan said. “Pakistan government has said that their team will participate in the T20 World Cup but will not play against India. There is absolutely no logic to this. This is the same Pakistan government and the same PCB that, after some time, will say that the dispute was actually Bangladesh’s, the ICC imposed the ban, and we were ready to play and resolve the issue. This is nothing but a complete drama being created to mislead people,” he said.
The former off-spinner questioned what Pakistan stood to gain from skipping only one match while playing the rest of the tournament.
“What benefit are you going to get from this? This is just to show arrogance,” he said. “If you really think that you can do something like this, then be adamant. Let’s see if you really have the guts. There’s no problem with standing with Bangladesh, but what about the people of your country who want the India-Pakistan match to happen?” he said.
“This match was supposed to be played at a neutral venue, and there was no dispute with you. When there was a war recently, you still played the Asia Cup. There was drama about the trophy, but the matches happened because you didn’t want to let go of that revenue,” he said, questioning where this sudden show of patriotism had been earlier,” he added.
What is Pakistan’s India boycott all about?
The boycott drama erupted after Pakistan announced it would participate in the T20 World Cup but skip the India fixture scheduled for February 15 in Colombo. The move followed earlier remarks by PCB chairman and Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who had hinted at withdrawing in solidarity with Bangladesh after their exit from the tournament.
Despite the announcement, Pakistan have already travelled to Sri Lanka to play the rest of their matches under the hybrid arrangement agreed with the ICC and BCCI. Harbhajan believes that only reinforces his point. For him, this is less about principle and more about posturing, and he has challenged Pakistan to prove otherwise by standing firm when the pressure inevitably mounts.
Meanwhile, amid Pakistan’s boycott stance, the Indian team is expected to travel to Sri Lanka as scheduled, with captain Suryakumar Yadav set to walk out for the toss for the marquee fixture. If Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha does not appear for the toss, the match referee will award India a walkover, resulting in two points being credited to the Indian side.
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