Pakistan may boycott India match in protest over Bangladesh's World Cup exit

After Bangladesh’s exclusion from the ICC T20 World Cup, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has begun considering various protest options, a media report said on Monday, citing sources.

It said that Pakistan may boycott its scheduled match against India on February 15 in Colombo to record a protest. If Pakistan decides not to play the match, the team would lose only two points under tournament rules.

The report said that the PCB has the option of refusing to play against India, a move that could result in considerable financial losses for the International Cricket Council (ICC).

The board is also keeping other options open, even if Pakistan continues to participate in the World Cup.

Bangladesh was removed from the T20 World Cup after it declined to tour India, citing security concerns. The Bangladesh Cricket Board had requested the ICC to shift all of its matches to Sri Lanka, but the request was rejected.

As a result, Scotland was included in the group in place of Bangladesh.

The development has raised questions among regional cricket boards, with Pakistan now weighing its response to the ICC’s decision.