Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has taken a sharp dig at Pakistan’s decision to selectively participate in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 while boycotting its Group A clash against India on February 15, calling the move unnecessary drama aimed at misleading the public.
The Pakistan government has directed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) not to play India in the upcoming tournament, even as it granted conditional approval for the national team to take part in the World Cup.
The decision has been taken in protest against the ICC’s refusal to move Bangladesh’s World Cup matches out of India, a demand that Pakistan strongly supported.
Reacting to the development, Harbhajan questioned the logic behind Pakistan’s stance and accused the authorities of creating a false narrative.
“Begani Shadi mei abdullah deewana… 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. They are trying to project that we stand with Bangladesh,” Harbhajan said on his YouTube channel.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) had earlier confirmed that the T20 World Cup would proceed as scheduled, with Bangladesh’s matches set to be played in India, despite the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) requesting that its fixtures be shifted to Sri Lanka.
Subsequently, the ICC announced that Scotland would replace Bangladesh in the tournament after the BCB refused to participate as per the published match schedule.
Harbhajan also questioned Pakistan’s claims of standing in solidarity with Bangladesh, urging the authorities to consider their own cricket-loving public.
“You may say you support Bangladesh, but what have you thought about the people in your own country who want an India-Pakistan match to happen?
“When the ICC voting took place on Bangladesh’s request, it was rejected by a 14–2 margin. The ICC chairman may be from India, but the other 14 members who voted against the request are not from India. Australia, England, South Africa and several other countries were part of that vote and supported the decision to exclude Bangladesh. So why are you unnecessarily picking a fight over this issue, and what exactly do you stand to gain from it?” asked Harbhajan.
He further challenged Pakistan to stand by its decision and questioned whether the move was merely symbolic.
He continued, “You have announced that you will play the World Cup but will not play against India—then stay firm on that decision. Let’s see whether you actually have the courage to stand by it, or whether this was just a shot in the dark. In my view, this decision looks like nothing more than firing an arrow in the air, just to see how far it goes.”
Referring to past precedents, Harbhajan highlighted what he described as Pakistan’s double standards in international cricket. Last year, India and Pakistan played their Asia Cup matches at a neutral venue, with Harbhajan pointing out that financial considerations had often taken precedence over political posturing despite ongoing tensions between the two nations.
“Fair enough, if you don’t want to come, then don’t. India also doesn’t go to your country — fair enough. But this match was being played at a neutral venue. Some time ago, there was an issue during the Asia Cup, yet the match still took place because there was revenue involved, and you were not willing to give up that revenue. It’s possible that sanctions were imposed on you, and it’s also possible that in the future you may not get the opportunity to host any ICC tournament,” he said.