Pakistan, Feb. 3 -- Pakistan's national T20 squad has departed for Sri Lanka under an unusual cloud of controversy. The government gave the team clearance to play in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 on the condition that Pakistan would not play its scheduled match against India on February 15. It is an extraordinary boycott on cricket's biggest stage, born out of Pakistan's solidarity with Bangladesh and protest against what it calls the ICC's bias towards the Indian hosts.

An India-Pakistan match is often a commercial bonanza and the jewel of World Cups: a single game watched by hundreds of millions and heavily monetised by sponsors and broadcasters. Walking away from it is virtually unheard of. It goes without saying that by refusing to play...