How Pakistan users on X responded to U-turn on T20 World Cup

In just five days, we’re going to see India and Pakistan go up against each other at the T20 World Cup.

While Pakistan was busy processing the whiplash, memes, AI-generated spoofs and deadpan commentary, largely from Pakistani users, served as a public audit of the country’s U-turn on boycotting the T20 World Cup match against India.

India Today has identified the dominant narratives among Pakistani users on X: one faction frames the U-turn as a course correction, replacing what they call a farcical decision with a pragmatic one; another voices incredulity at how Pakistan has managed to turn itself into a global spectacle; while a third, a set of accounts appears to be gaming the surge in attention to circulate false narratives via AI-generated content.

NAQVI UNDER FIRE

Several posts originating from Pakistan mock Mohsin Raza Naqvi, the Pakistan Cricket Board(PCB) chairman notorious for fleeing with the trophy after the Asia Cup. Again, as many on X believe, he is at the forefront of making a mockery of his own country.

While most reactions focus on ridiculing Mohsin Naqvi for turning Pakistan into a laughing stock, a cluster of loyalist X accounts in the country are actively pushing false claims that he pressured the ICC into changing its stance on Bangladesh, falsely suggesting that all related demands were accepted.

Overall, the PCB chairman came under sustained scrutiny, with several users describing the episode as a failed exercise in personal branding. Users began dissecting the episode, questioning the intent, the optics and the credibility of the decision-making at the top of Pakistan cricket. The PCB’s initial stance was widely criticised as illogical, further eroding its credibility.

The Pakistan government had earlier barred its team from taking the field against India in solidarity with Bangladesh, who were replaced from the tournament by the Cricket Council (ICC). However, a series of discussions involving Pakistan, Bangladesh, the ICC, and boards from other nations, including the UAE and Sri Lanka, took place before the U-turn was made official on Monday.

'NO CHOICE' AND FINANCIAL REALITIES

Many users on X operating from India mocked the decision, suggesting that Pakistan was forced into submission by the Cricket Council (ICC) and the financial power of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Comments included phrases like "Do beggars have a choice?" and labeling it as a "clown" move, highlighting the contrast between initial high-pitched rhetoric about a boycott and the eventual capitulation.

Many tweets pointed out that the decision was likely driven by the fear of severe financial and legal consequences from the ICC. Several users noted that the BCCI's, and thus the ICC's, position was firm, and that skipping the match would not have hurt India but would have severely damaged Pakistan cricket.

The Pakistani counterpart on X went a step further, citing Indian media reports to claim that Pakistan’s decision to play the ICC T20 World Cup match against India spared the Cricket Council a potential financial hit of around $174 million. The figure, widely circulated online, was linked to estimates of revenue at risk from broadcast deals, advertising commitments and gate receipts tied to the marquee India–Pakistan fixture.

DISAPPOINTMENT, THEN DISINFORMATION

A majority of Pakistani users on X expressed disappointment, with some indicating they were looking forward to a firm stand by PCB against the political tension, only to be let down by the reversal. Some fans on social media used the opportunity to express frustration with the constant, often "unnecessary," controversies surrounding India-Pakistan matches.

AI-generated images depicting Bangladesh Cricket Board(BCB) President Aminul Islam and Mohsin Naqvi walking hand in hand against the backdrop of a burning Cricket Council headquarters were widely circulated to suggest that the ICC had bowed to the might of the PCB chief. In reality, while the ICC did agree to waive the penalty imposed on Bangladesh, the broader narrative being pushed—that it capitulated to all demands—was false.

Other AI-generated videos circulated online showed virtual avatars of Haris Rauf and Shaheen Afridi physically attacking the look-alikes of Indian cricketers Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Suryakumar Yadav on a cricket field on February 15 getting at least thirty-one thousand views.

So the question remains: what was the point of all this drama? Pakistan’s initial decision was to boycott the match with India as an expression of solidarity with Bangladesh Cricket Board, after the Cricket Council rejected Bangladesh’s request to move its games out of India and later replaced them with Scotland. Pakistan announced its boycott on February 1, framing it as a stand against perceived inconsistency in how the tournament was being handled.

However, just 9 days later Pakistan’s government ordered its team to play the India match on February 15. Although the ICC agreed that no penalties were imposed on Bangladesh and some concessions, Pakistan’s demands on broader issues including the resumptions of the bilateral matches between India and Pakistan and a tri-series involving Pakistan, Bangladesh and India or handshake after the match, were not met.

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