Pakistan boycott T20 World Cup match vs IND: What are the past instances of teams forfeiting matches in ICC events?

T20 World Cup 2026: The Pakistan government on Sunday startled the cricket world by boycotting the T20 World Cup 2026 match against India. The decision triggered an intense reaction from the ICC and many well-known former cricketers. Subsequently, the general belief is that Pakistan could face consequences for taking such a daring call. While Pakistan's decision has caused an uproar, it is not an unprecedented move. It is not the first time that a team has backed out of playing a match in the World Cup.A total of three times this instance of a team forfeiting a World Cup match has occurred before. Let's take a look at the previous instances when the team did not feature in only one game of the World Cup.1996 World Cup: Australia vs Sri LankaThe 1996 World Cup, which was co-hosted by India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, was hit by controversy when Australia refused to travel to Sri Lanka, owing to the civil unrest that was prevalent in the country back then. Australia did not play the group stage match against Sri Lanka, which was scheduled to take place in Colombo. Ironically, both teams eventually met in the final, where Sri Lanka emerged victorious over Australia.1996 World Cup: West Indies vs Sri LankaMuch like Australia, the West Indies also forfeited the group stage encounter against Sri Lanka in the 1996 World Cup due to security concerns. They lost points due to the decision. Despite losing points, the West Indies team managed to go deep into the tournament. They reached the semi-final stage, where they lost to Australia.'2003 World Cup: England vs ZimbabweThe 2003 World Cup, which was hosted by South Africa, Kenya, and Zimbabwe, also witnessed a team deciding not to play one match. Due to the diplomatic tensions between the Robert Mugabe administration and the UK government headed by Tony Blair, England refused to travel to Harare for their group tie.Pakistan's boycott of the February 15 match against India will be the fourth such occasion where a team has refused to play a side in the World Cup. Though security reasons have been a dominant factor in why teams have taken such a stand before, Pakistan's reason is unique, as they will not take the field against India to show solidarity with Bangladesh, who were earlier replaced by Scotland in the T20 World Cup 2026. The World Cup will begin on February 7.