'Day India-Pakistan Stop...': PCB Warned of Identity Crisis if They Boycott ICC T20 World Cup Game

ICC T20 World Cup 2026: Following boycott of the India game at the upcoming T20 World Cup, Pakistan has been facing heavy criticism. Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra is the latest to give his two cents on the matter. Chopra, who usually speaks his heart out, reckoned that Pakistan will suffer from identity crisis if they boycott the game against India on February 15 in Colombo. 

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‘Pakistan is important because the Ind-Pak rivalry is alive’

Chopra admitted that Pakistan gets it's global relevance because of India and now if they take a call of this magnitude, it will not only hurt them financially, but also finish cricket in the country. He also added that Pakistan's move will not hurt India one bit. 

"Pakistan cricket is important not because they play well - as they don't play well. They have reached the final of an ICC event only twice in the last 10 years. They last won in 2017 and reached the final in 2022. It's not like they are an incredible cricketing team," Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

He added: "Pakistan is important because the India-Pakistan rivalry is alive. The day you kill that rivalry, the day India and Pakistan stop playing against each other, India will continue on their merry way - but Pakistan's value, in terms of what they bring to the table, absolutely diminishes."

Pakistan play their T20 WC opener on February 7 against the Netherlands. 

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Pakistan squad for ICC T20 WC: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan, Usman Tariq.