Former PCB chairman Ehsan Mani claimed that the ICC cannot punish Pakistan for boycotting the upcoming 2026 ICC T20 World Cup against India on February 15. He claimed that they had no legal right to impose such sanctions on PCB.

The Pakistan cricket team has announced that it will no longer participate in the ICC T20 World Cup against India after getting permission from the government to participate in the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup. This marks the end of speculation that Pakistan will boycott the entire World Cup.

However, the revolutionary decision to not play India was taken after Bangladesh was excluded from the ICC tournament. Pakistan has shown solidarity by supporting Bangladesh in a move that many believe will change the political dynamics in Southeast Asia.

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“If Pakistan follows the government’s instructions, no sanctions will be imposed on it,” former PCB chairman said

After the decision was announced, the ICC issued a strict ultimatum to the PCB, asking it to reconsider its plans with the government or be prepared to face long-term consequences. However, Pakistan’s former stars feel that they cannot cause harm to 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 right to do so as the decision was taken by the Pakistani government and not the Pakistan Cricket Board.

“If Pakistan follows the instructions of the government, no sanctions will be imposed on it. This is the basis on which India has refused to host the Champions Trophy 2025 match in Pakistan. You cannot have double standards,” Mani told Sportstar.

Ehsan Mani accuses ICC of mishandling

Ehsan Mani has always pinned his hopes on the No. 225 Champions Trophy. At that time, the Indian government refused to send a team to Pakistan citing security concerns, so the ICC rescheduled the game to be held in Dubai, which also included the semi-finals and finals. India was one of the participating teams.

Mani, however, accused the ICC of mishandling the situation this time as they ignored warnings and escalated the situation.

“So again, unfortunately, I come back to the fact that the ICC is not solving the problem but standing there as a bystander. You leave the door open for any country to get its government involved. Especially knowing that the PCB chairman is a sitting minister in the government,” he added.

India’s refusal to award 2025 Champions Trophy is different from Pakistan’s current boycott – here’s why

While comparisons continue to be drawn between India’s refusal to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy and the current situation, here is a comprehensive analysis of how completely different the two scenarios are.

While India denied traveling to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy, the Champions Trophy schedule was not announced, nor were ticket sales for the live matches. Therefore, the situation cannot be similar to the recent demands of Bangladesh.

Moreover, India has never boycotted a match against Pakistan in international cricket and demanded that the match be played at a neutral venue. The T20 World Cup match has been scheduled to be played in Colombo, which is the neutral venue for India and Pakistan. Therefore, Pakistan’s unfair boycott will definitely be sanctioned by the ICC as it has nothing in common with India’s stance ahead of the 2025 Champions Trophy.

Also read: BCCI breaks silence on Pakistan boycott of India’s 2026 T20 World Cup matches