Former PCB chairman Ehsan Mani has claimed that the ICC cannot punish Pakistan for boycotting the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026 match against India on February 15. He has claimed that he has no legal authority to issue such a sanction against the PCB.
Pakistan cricket team has made a big announcement of not playing against India in the ICC T20 World Cup after its government gave permission to participate in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. This put an end to speculations that Pakistan would boycott the entire tournament.
However, the radical decision was taken not to play against India after Bangladesh was eliminated from the ICC tournament. Pakistan had shown solidarity with Bangladesh by supporting its move and many feel this will change the political dynamics in Southeast Asia.
The former PCB chairman said, “If Pakistan follows the instructions of the government then no sanctions can be imposed against it.”
After the decision was announced, the ICC issued a strict ultimatum to the PCB to reconsider its plans with its government, otherwise be prepared to face long-term consequences. However, former Pakistan stars feel that they cannot cause any harm to the PCB.
Former PCB chairman Ehsan Mani believes that the ICC cannot punish Pakistan for boycotting the match against India, as the ICC has no legal authority to do so, as the decision is taken by the Pakistan government and not the Pakistan Cricket Board.
“If Pakistan follows the government’s instructions, no sanctions can be imposed against it. This was the basis on which India refused to play its 2025 Champions Trophy matches in Pakistan. You cannot have double standards,” Mani told Sportstar.
Ehsan Mani blames ICC for not handling the situation properly
Ehsan Mani remained adamant on Champions Trophy 225 when the Indian government cited security concerns and refused to send its team to Pakistan, resulting in the ICC rescheduling the games to Dubai, including the semi-finals and final, where India was one of the competing teams.
However, Mani blamed the ICC for mishandling the situation this time, as they ignored warnings which escalated the matter.
He said, “So, unfortunately, I again come back to the fact that instead of dealing with the problem, the ICC just stood there as a spectator. You left the door open for any country to involve its government in this. And especially knowing that the chairman of the PCB is a serving minister of the government.”
India’s 2025 Champions Trophy refusal is different from the current boycott by Pakistan – here’s why
Although there have been frequent comparisons between the situation of India refusing to go to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy and the current situation, here is a thorough analysis of how both the scenarios are completely different.
When India refused to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy, the Champions Trophy schedule was not announced nor were tickets sold for live matches. Therefore, this situation cannot be said to be similar to the recent demands of Bangladesh.
Furthermore, India never boycotted playing against Pakistan in international cricket and demanded to play at a neutral venue. The T20 World Cup match is already scheduled to be played in Colombo, which is a neutral venue for both India and Pakistan. Therefore, Pakistan’s unfair boycott can definitely be met with sanctions by the ICC, as it has nothing to do with India’s point of view ahead of the Champions Trophy 2025.
Also read: BCCI breaks silence on Pakistan boycotting India’s match in T20 World Cup 2026
