Pakistan Reverses Decision, Agrees to Play India in T20 World Cup Match After Friendly Nations' Appeals

Kathmandu. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has permitted the Pakistani cricket team to play the T20 World Cup match against India scheduled for February 15. He stated that this decision was taken following requests from friendly nations.

Earlier, on February 1, Pakistan had announced a boycott of the match against India on February 15 under the T20 World Cup. However, Pakistan has reversed this decision just ten days later.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi formally informed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif about the decision reached in a high-level meeting between the PCB, representatives of the International Cricket Council (ICC), and the Bangladesh Cricket Board.

According to BBC Urdu, the statement issued by the government said, 'The Government of Pakistan has taken this decision based on the formal request from the Bangladesh Cricket Board, as well as messages received from Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and other member nations.'

According to the statement, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke with Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe over the phone on Monday evening. During this conversation, he recalled that Pakistan and Sri Lanka have always stood shoulder-to-shoulder, especially during difficult times. The Sri Lankan President requested the Prime Minister to seriously consider resolving the current impasse in a cordial manner.

The government's statement read, 'Keeping in view the requests of friendly nations, the Government of Pakistan has directed the Pakistani team to take the field on February 15, 2026, for the scheduled match of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup.'

The statement further added, 'This decision has been made with the objective of maintaining the spirit of cricket and ensuring the continuity of this global sport across all participating nations.'

This dispute began when Bangladesh requested that its matches be held outside India, citing security concerns for its team. However, the ICC rejected their request. Subsequently, Scotland was included in the T20 World Cup in place of Bangladesh.

Immediately following this, the Pakistani government announced a boycott of the match against India scheduled for February 15. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif later stated that this decision was taken in support of Bangladesh.

• What did the ICC say?

The International Cricket Council (ICC) also confirmed this development by posting on the social media platform X. The ICC wrote, 'Following successful deliberations between the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the ICC, it has been decided that Pakistan will play all its matches in the T20 World Cup.'

In its statement, the ICC said, 'The discussions between the ICC and the PCB were part of a comprehensive engagement process, where both parties recognized the need to work constructively and agreed to remain united and committed with honesty, fairness, and cooperation in the interest of the sport.'

The ICC further wrote, 'In this spirit, it has been decided that all member nations will honor their commitment as per the terms of participation in ICC events and will make every possible effort to make the ongoing T20 World Cup a success.'

Regarding Bangladesh, the ICC wrote, 'Bangladesh has a large cricket market, and keeping this in mind, the ICC has reiterated its role in continuing the development of cricket there. There are more than 200 million cricket fans there. Our effort is that the country's cricket does not suffer any long-term impact due to non-participation in this tournament.'

The statement clarified that the ICC would not impose any fine on Bangladesh despite their decision not to play in the tournament.

• Sri Lanka Expresses Gratitude

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe thanked Pakistan by posting on X.

He wrote, 'Shehbaz Sharif, thank you. You ensured that our beloved sport continues. I am delighted to hear that the much-anticipated India-Pakistan match in the T20 Cricket World Cup in Colombo will be played as per the scheduled timetable. I express my gratitude to Sri Lanka as a co-host of the tournament, the ICC, and everyone associated with this effort. Sri Lanka has not forgotten the solidarity shown by India and Pakistan during the 1996 World Cup when both teams played matches in Colombo, as other countries backed out due to security concerns.'

• Bangladesh Also Made a Request

Earlier on Monday, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had appealed to Pakistan to play their match against India on February 15 in the T20 World Cup 2026.

In a statement, the BCB expressed heartfelt gratitude to Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Mohsin Raza Naqvi, the PCB, and the cricket fans of Pakistan. The statement read, 'The PCB has demonstrated excellent sportsmanship and solidarity during this period.'

BCB Chairman Mohammad Aminul Islam said, 'We are very impressed by Pakistan's tremendous efforts in support of Bangladesh during this period. May our brotherhood flourish for a long time.'

The BCB Chairman further stated in his statement, 'Following a brief visit to Pakistan yesterday and considering the potential outcome of our discussions, I request Pakistan to play the ICC T20 World Cup match against India on February 15 in the interest of cricket.'

(Published on behalf of Collective Newsroom for BBC)