About 6 days before the start of the T20 World Cup 2026, the Pakistan government announced that their team will participate in the upcoming World Cup, but will not play the league match against India on 15 February. Last Sunday (01 February), this strange decision was issued by the Government of Pakistan on the social media platform

Gavaskar said that if you withdraw your name at the very end, then it is a problem. Apart from this, he said that ICC should take action against Pakistan on this issue, so that it can be ensured that no such incident happens in future.

Problem with withdrawal at the very end

Speaking to India Today, Sunil Gavaskar said, “If you withdraw at the last moment, then that is a problem. Yes, if you had withdrawn earlier, it would have been a different thing. But if you withdraw at the last moment, on the eve of the tournament, then I think definitely the ICC should step in and take some action.”

He further said, “I don’t think what decision he will take, but I think there are a lot of boards involved in this, so it will not be a decision of any one person. However, it should be something to ensure that no one thinks of doing this in the future.”

ICC will probably take legal action

Taking his point forward, Gavaskar said, “The ICC will probably take legal action against Pakistan for refusing to play against India, but I cannot say what will be the outcome of this action. It is certain that the ICC will be very disappointed with the decision of the Pakistan government.”