Australia's Mahli Beardman, right, celebrates with teammate after the dismissal of Pakistan's Shadab Khan, left, during the first T20 cricket match between Pakistan and Australia, in Lahore, Pakistan, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)
Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has criticised the hypocrisy of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in dealing with Pakistan team’s boycott of the India game at the upcoming T20 World Cup that starts this week in India and Sri Lanka.
“India started this behaviour. Okay fine, shaking hands is not mandatory. I’m not even going to talk about the decision of the Indian players not to shake hands with the Pakistan players. But the Indians refused to accept the Asia Cup trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief Mohsin Naqvi. They should have accepted the trophy. They refused because the Indian government refused. Now when we are boycotting a game because our government has asked us to, we’re suddenly the bad guys? If India can do it, Pakistan can too!” Basit Ali said on the YouTube channel ‘Game Plan’.
Basit Ali continued: “West Indies and Australia forfeited their games in the World Cup of 1996. Besides the teams losing two points, was there any other penalty levied on them? England and New Zealand forfeited games in the World Cup 2003. Did they face any additional penalties? And there is conversation that Pakistan cricket team will be banned. Karke dekhlo! (Try doing it!)”
Basit Ali had previously suggested that rather than boycott the game against India, Pakistan should play with a black armband.
“Whatever Bangladesh government ordered, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) did. At the Champions Trophy, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) did what the Indian government ordered. Now the Pakistan government has ordered their team to boycott the game against India. That’s what the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has done. Now ICC has requested PCB to try and reconsider this decision. Or convey in an email or a letter that they will be boycotting the game.
“At the Champions Trophy, had the BCCI conveyed by a letter to the ICC that they will not play in Pakistan? I challenge everyone in ICC to show me the letter from BCCI informing about the decision. How can PCB ignore the Pakistan government’s decision? Only the Pakistan government can decide whether the Pakistan cricket team will play against India on February 15 or not!”
Basit Ali then trained his criticism in the direction of the people from both sides of the border who were saying that the Pakistan cricket team will never boycott the Indian team.
“In India, TV anchors used to say that Pakistan cannot dare to boycott a game against India. Now, they should look at themselves in a mirror. In Pakistan itself, people used to say that we will not boycott a game against India. A government will think long term. There are big-ticket events that India will host in the future, like the Commonwealth Games (in Ahmedabad in 2030) and they have also bid for the Olympics (in 2036).”
Basit Ali also shut down conversation about what the Pakistan team will do if it had to play against India in the knockout stages of the T20 World Cup.
“There is also a lot of conversation about what will happen if Pakistan and India make it to the semis or the final and have to face each other. Will Pakistan play that game? First let the tournament make it out of the group stages. Then we’ll see about the semis and final.”
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