The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday clarified its position following Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s statement reiterating his country’s decision to boycott its group-stage match against India in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla said the Indian board would abide by whatever decision is taken by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on the matter.

Responding to Sharif’s remarks, Shukla told ANI that the BCCI had no independent role in deciding the outcome of the situation. “BCCI has nothing to say on this. ICC has to decide on this, and whatever ICC says, we will go according to that decision,” he said, underlining that the governing body of world cricket would take the final call.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had earlier reiterated his government’s stance of not playing the scheduled T20 World Cup match against India, which is set to take place on February 15 in Sri Lanka. Addressing a meeting of the federal cabinet in Islamabad, Sharif said Pakistan had taken a “clear stand” on the issue after careful deliberation and described the proposed boycott as an “appropriate decision.”

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Sharif also maintained that there should be no politics in sports, even as his government stood firm on its decision. Pakistan’s position had first been conveyed through a post by the government on social media, stating that the national team would not take the field against India, without specifying detailed reasons for the move.

Following the announcement, the ICC issued a statement expressing concern over what it described as “selective participation.” The global body said such a stance was difficult to reconcile with the fundamental premise of an international sporting event, where all qualified teams are expected to compete according to the schedule.

The ICC added that it had noted the Government of Pakistan’s statement and was awaiting official communication from the Pakistan Cricket Board. It also said it expected the PCB to work towards a mutually acceptable resolution that safeguards the interests of all stakeholders involved in the tournament.

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