T20 World Cup: Harbhajan Singh Takes Brutal Dig at Pakistan's U-Turn on India's Clash Boycott

Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh slammed the PCB for its U-turn on boycotting the T20 World Cup 2026 clash against India, calling it predictable and financially driven. Pakistan reversed its stance under pressure, fearing losses and sanctions.

Former India spinner turned commentator Harbhajan Singh took a dig at Pakistan’s backtracking on its stance to boycott their T20 World Cup 2026 clash against Team India, which will take place as per the schedule at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday, February 15.

On Monday, the Government of Pakistan officially announced that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed the Men in Green to take the field against India in the much-anticipated marquee fixture in Colombo. Pakistan’s U-turn on its boycott stance came after the PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi met with Bangladesh Cricket Board chairman Animul Islam and Deputy Chairman Imran Khawaja-led ICC delegation at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

The pressure from the Sri Lanka Cricket and the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), who urged the PCB to reconsider its stance while warning of financial, logistical, and reputational consequences if the marquee fixture did not go ahead, eventually contributed to Pakistan reversing its boycott and confirming participation.

‘When it Comes to Money, They Will Come Pleading to Play’

As Pakistan eventually took a dramatic U-turn after weeks of drama and uncertainty by standing firm with the government’s directive of boycotting the Team India clash at the T20 World Cup 2026, Harbhajan Singh lashed out at the Pakistan Cricket Board for their last-minute reversal of boycott stance.

Speaking to ANI, Harbhajan stated that Pakistan realised that the marquee event would continue to take place even without their participation, while mocking their earlier boycott stance, saying financial losses forced them to rethink, adding that it was predictable that Pakistan would reverse its boycott call.

“I think they realised it really late that the tournament can go on even without them, but not without India. They were saying a lot of things, that they support Bangladesh and won't play. Do that, that is their idea,” the two-time World Cup winner.

“We had said earlier that they would certainly take a U-Turn and play. Financial loss is too high, and when it comes to money, they will come pleading to play," he added.

Pakistan’s boycott stance was driven more by political considerations than cricketing concerns, as it was seen as an act of solidarity with Bangladesh, who were removed from the T20 World Cup 2026 after refusing to play matches in India. The PCB had earlier threatened to boycott the entire tournament before eventually agreeing to participate in all matches except the clash against Team India.

Pakistan Could Have Faced ICC Sanctions

When Pakistan was adamant on its stance of boycotting the T20 World Cup clash against Team India, the International Cricket Council (ICC) warned of significant repercussions, including freezing the share of annual revenue from the world governing body of cricket, denial of NOCs for overseas players to play PSL, and losing the rights to host the future ICC events.

Harbhajan stated that Pakistan knew the potential consequences they would face from the ICC if the boycott went ahead, and thus, the arch-rivals decided to take a u–turn.

“That is what has happened. Financial loss is too high, and they could even be banned in future. ICC could have invoked charges against them, and maybe they would not have received the opportunity to host a tournament ever again. I think that is why the U-Turn happened," he added.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) played a significant role in pushing the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to revoke its decision to boycott the clash against Team India in Colombo. SLC cited the financial losses and impact on tourism, as they are the host of the fixture, while BCB acknowledged the PCB’s support but urged it to reverse its boycott stance for the benefit of the cricketing ecosystem.