Former ICC chairman Ehsan Mani has said Pakistan cannot be sanctioned for following government instructions, amid uncertainty over whether the team will play India at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

In an exclusive interview with Sportstar, Mani, who has also served as PCB chairman, said Pakistan should not be punished for following government directions. He added that the ICC has allowed double standards in the past and failed to address such situations.

The comments follow a post from the Government of Pakistan’s official X account, which stated the national team would travel to Sri Lanka for the tournament but would not play India in their Group A fixture on February 15 in Colombo.

Pakistan are in Group A with India, Namibia, Netherlands, and the USA, and all their matches will be held in Sri Lanka, co-hosting with India. A boycott of the India match would mean Pakistan forfeit two points.

The issue arose after PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi raised concerns, following Bangladesh’s removal from the tournament in January for declining to play in India over security reasons. Pakistan will open against the Netherlands on February 7, then face the USA and Namibia.

The ICC has not received official communication from the PCB but stated that selective participation goes against the principles of a global sporting event. The body acknowledged the role of governments but warned that such decisions could have long-term effects on cricket.

Similar situations have occurred in the past. During the 1996 World Cup, Australia and West Indies forfeited points by refusing to travel to Sri Lanka due to safety concerns. In the 2003 ODI World Cup, England skipped Zimbabwe, while New Zealand refused to play Kenya over security issues.

The ICC said it expects the PCB to work toward a resolution, with the priority being the successful conduct of the tournament.