A media release purportedly shared by the International Cricket Council (ICC) is going viral on the internet with a claim that the body has decided to ban the Pakistan cricket team for one year.
What else did it say?: The release further said that the Pakistan Super League (PSL) will be banned for one year and the country's share of annual revenue will be cut down to 2.25 percent.
The claim comes following reports circulating around Pakistan's refusal to play against India in the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup.
What are the facts?: The release is fabricated. As of writing this report, there is no evidence to support the claim that the ICC has banned Pakistan for one year.
How did we find that out?: We did not find any credible news reports that talked about ICC deciding the ban Pakistan for a year. On going through the official website of the cricket body, we found a media release that was shared on 1 February.
It said that the ICC has noted the statement that the Pakistan government has instructed its nation team to selectively participate in the ICC Men's World Cup 2026.
The release said that an official communication from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is awaited.
It further mentioned, "The ICC hopes that the PCB will consider the significant and long-term implications for cricket in its own country as this is likely to impact the global cricket ecosystem, which it is itself a member and beneficiary of."
Finding the original post: A keyword search on Google directed us to a post shared on the official Facebook page of DD Sports.
It was shared on 2 February with a caption that said, "The International Cricket Council has released a statement regarding Pakistan’s decision to boycott their Group A stage clash against India in the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026..."
Comparing visuals: On comparing both the images, we found that the Facebook post was altered to create the viral post.
One can see the DD Sports logo on the viral post as well. This made it clearer that the claim of ICC banning the Pakistan team for a year is false.
Additionally, the font styles of both releases differ. The viral claim also includes chairperson Jay Shah's signature, which the original one does not carry.
Conclusion: It is evident that the viral media release talking about ICC banning Pakistan for a year is fabricated.
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