LONDON: Former England opener Mark Butcher has weighed in on Pakistan’s decision to boycott their group-stage clash against India in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, scheduled for February 15 in Sri Lanka.
During a recent podcast discussion with fellow cricketing greats, Butcher addressed the recurring scheduling of India and Pakistan in ICC tournaments, highlighting the financial motivations behind these fixtures.
“In the same group. Why? Because it is the most lucrative fixture in cricket, and some say, in the world of sport. The ICC has to ensure that India and Pakistan are in the same group, and they are every single time,” he said.
He further elaborated on the deliberate nature of these arrangements, suggesting that the grouping is not random but financially driven.
“It’s not a coincidence, that is done by rote from the top, which is a bizarre situation, right? Other teams have to qualify, they get put in groups, it comes out of a hat or the rest, but those two all to do with money.”
The 53-year-old cricketing veteran reflected on Pakistan’s position within this dynamic, describing it as being treated like the “younger brother” in relation to India.
“Pakistan are in a situation whereby there is sort of, you know, that they did as the younger brother or whatever it might be, although other cousin at India, and India pretty much gets its own way.”
Butcher also discussed the broader impact on other teams when these scheduling decisions are made, emphasising the logistical challenges.
“Everything got rearranged and all the other teams… this is where my biggest problem comes in: when it happens, it affects all of the other teams because their program has to change.”
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Addressing Pakistan’s strategic response to the ICC’s decisions, he highlighted how the team navigated the situation regarding their participation.
“Pakistan basically kind of pulled a blinder. They turned around and said, ‘Okay, we still want to be involved in the tournament, however we are not going to play against India because of what you have done with Bangladesh.'”
Finally, Butcher pointed out the financial and strategic ramifications for India and the ICC.
“For India, that is a disaster for the ICC. It was a disaster because of the size financially and that fixture, and kind of the only lever really in Pakistan.”
The controversy traces back to the 2025 Champions Trophy, which Pakistan hosted. India did not tour Pakistan and played all its matches in Dubai.
Semifinals and finals also took place in Dubai after Pakistan failed to qualify.
To address this, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) proposed a “fusion formula” for a hybrid model, allowing India’s matches in Pakistan-hosted ICC events to be shifted to neutral venues.
In return, Pakistan requested the same arrangement for ICC events in India.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and ICC reportedly agreed to this model, which will apply to all ICC events through 2027, including India hosting the Women’s ODI World Cup in October 2024 and the Men’s T20 World Cup in 2026 alongside Sri Lanka.
On February 1, the Government of Pakistan officially approved the national men’s cricket team’s participation in the T20 World Cup 2026 but confirmed the team will not take the field against India on February 15.
The announcement came via the government’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle.
“The Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan grants approval to the Pakistan Cricket Team to participate in the ICC World T20 2026, however, the Pakistan Cricket Team shall not take the field in the match scheduled on 15th February 2026 against India,” the Government of Pakistan stated.
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi criticized the ICC for “double standards” and alleged undue influence from the BCCI, framing Pakistan’s decision as a strategic move to impact ICC financially.
The announcement followed crucial meetings between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Naqvi.
Pakistan reconsidered its participation in the 20-team mega-event after the ICC replaced Bangladesh with Scotland, following Bangladesh’s refusal to tour India.
This decision came in the backdrop of the BCCI’s directives to IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders, which released Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their squad.