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February 10, 2026
February 9, 2026
The ten-day standoff over Pakistan’s refusal to play India in their scheduled 2026 T20 World Cup group fixture ended in an evening of frenzied press statements and near simultaneous announcements from the Pakistan government and the ICC that the match, billed to be the commercial centrepiece of the tournament, will go ahead on February 15 in Colombo.
The statement from the Pakistan government confirmed that a number of ICC members, including Sri Lanka and the UAE, had urged the PCB not to boycott their fixture, citing financial impact on other nations. It also confirmed that Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had spoken to Sri Lanka President Kumara Dissanayake on the issue.
“In view of the outcomes achieved in multilateral discussions, as well as the request of friendly countries, the Government of Pakistan hereby directs the Pakistan National Cricket Team to take the field on February 15, 2026, for its scheduled fixture in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Moreover, this decision has been taken with the aim of protecting the spirit of cricket, and to support the continuity of this global sport in all participating nations,” the government statement concluded.
The ICC said talks had been successful. “The dialogue between ICC and PCB took place as part of a broader engagement with both parties recognising the need for constructive dealings and being united, committed and purposeful in their aspirations to serve the best interests of the game with integrity, neutrality and cooperation.
“In that prevailing spirit, it was agreed that all members will respect their commitments as per the terms of participation for ICC events and do all that is necessary to ensure that the ongoing edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is a success.”
The decision not to penalise Bangladesh after their exclusion from the T20 World Cup for refusing to play in India, appears to be the most significant public outcome from a fortnight of negotiations between the ICC, the PCB and, ultimately, the BCB. Pakistan had linked their decision to boycott the game to Bangladesh’s absence from the event, which the PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi had said was an example of the ICC’s “double standards” and an “injustice”.
ESPNcricinfo understands that the PCB also brought up a more equitable ICC revenue share model in their negotiations, though neither the Pakistan government nor the ICC made reference to that in their statements. Speculation that bilateral, or trilateral, series with India was a PCB condition has been strenuously denied by the board.
Though back-channel communications have been going ever since Naqvi first cast doubt on the PCB’s participation in the T20 World Cup a fortnight ago, they intensified after the Pakistan government announced that Pakistan will participate but not play India. Those culminated with a meeting in Lahore on Sunday between Naqvi, the BCB chairman Aminul Islam and ICC director Imran Khawaja. The PCB was the only member other than the BCB to vote against Bangladesh’s removal from the T20 World Cup at an ICC board meeting and wanted any resolution of the India match boycott to include redress for Bangladesh.
ESPNcricinfo had reported earlier on Monday that there was growing optimism those discussions might bear fruit. On Monday evening, developments unfolded quickly. Naqvi said a decision on Pakistan’s game against India could come within the next 24-48 hours. Minutes earlier, the ICC had released its statement on Bangladesh, confirming that no penalty would be levied on them. Furthermore, the BCB was granted hosting rights for an additional ICC tournament in the 2028-2031 cycle. As a result, the BCB issued a statement thanking the PCB for its support, and asking them to take part in their fixture against India. Following all of this came the Pakistan government’s statement. (ESPNcricinfo)
