T20 World Cup 2026: Pakistan surrenders before ICC ultimatum, agrees to play against India

New Delhi: The Pakistani government has reversed its decision to boycott the T20 World Cup match against India. A top government source informed the media about this development. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was persuaded by Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to reconsider the decision. The match between India and Pakistan is scheduled to be held in Colombo on February 15. The source said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif received calls from Sri Lanka and Bangladesh and accepted their request to withdraw the boycott.

Bangladesh Cricket Board chief Aminul Islam had earlier issued a statement requesting Pakistan to play the match for the good of the sport. This had made it clear that Pakistan would be playing the match. Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi had earlier said that a formal decision on the matter would be taken within the next 24 hours.

What did Pakistan say?

Acknowledging his conversation with Aminul Islam and the ICC, Naqvi said at a press conference here that the PCB was awaiting responses from the ICC and the Bangladesh Cricket Board on certain issues. The match against India is scheduled for February 15 in Colombo.

According to media reports, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also received a call from Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who urged him to reverse the boycott decision. Geo News reported that Sharif assured that the Pakistani team would play against India. However, Naqvi told reporters, "We have spoken to them. It would not be appropriate for me to comment at this time. We will make a decision after we receive their response. We will go back to the Prime Minister (Shehbaz Sharif) for advice after we receive the ICC's response." He added that an announcement could be made tomorrow or the day after.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was briefed by PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi on the high-level discussions held with the ICC, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), and other member countries. Following this, the government, after considering all aspects, instructed the Pakistani team to take the field.

Pakistan had initially threatened not to play the match against India on the advice of its government, which had cast a shadow over the entire tournament. However, following pressure from the ICC, appeals from Bangladesh, and continuous negotiations, Pakistan appears to have backed down.

Did Lahore meeting clear the way?

The meeting in Lahore lasted for several hours, but according to sources, the ICC did not agree to most of the demands put forward by Pakistan. Following this, the PCB softened its stance on the boycott, and the path for the match to be played has now been cleared.

The India-Pakistan match is considered the biggest and most lucrative match in the cricket world. Its cancellation would have resulted in huge losses for the ICC, broadcasters, and all member boards. Now that the match will be held as scheduled, it has brought significant relief to the tournament and the cricket ecosystem.

It is worth noting that Pakistan had put forward several conditions at the Lahore meeting, including a bilateral series with India, a trilateral series between India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, addressing the handshake controversy, and increasing revenue. However, the ICC did not agree to any of Pakistan's demands. The ICC only stated that it would not take any financial action against Bangladesh but refused to concede to any of Pakistan's demands. Ultimately, Pakistan had to back down.

Will ICC take action against Bangladesh?

The International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Monday that it would not impose any penalties on the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) for refusing to play its T20 World Cup matches in India. The world cricket's governing body said the decision was taken after discussions with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) as well as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Pakistan had announced a boycott of its match against India on February 15 in support of Bangladesh.

The ICC said in a statement, “It has been agreed that no financial, sporting or administrative sanctions will be imposed on the Bangladesh Cricket Board in this matter. It has also been acknowledged that the BCB retains the right to approach the Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC) if it so wishes. This right exists under the current ICC regulations and remains fully protected.”

Notably, Bangladesh had refused to travel to India for the ongoing mega-event, citing security concerns, following which Scotland was included in the tournament in its place. The world cricket body also said that under a mutual understanding, Bangladesh will host an ICC tournament between 2028 and 2031.

According to the ICC, under this agreement, it has been decided that Bangladesh will host an ICC event before the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2031, which will be subject to the usual ICC hosting processes, timelines and operational requirements.

Earlier, BCB president Aminul Islam arrived in Pakistan on Sunday, where several discussions took place, including a virtual meeting with the ICC and the Pakistan Cricket Board, as part of efforts to resolve the impasse.