Former Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Najam Sethi has made a surprising claim about the Pakistan government’s recent U-turn in the T20 World Cup stalemate, insisting that it was the International Cricket Council that backed down, not Pakistan.
India-Pakistan T20 World Cup 2026 Group Match will now go ahead as scheduled on February 15 in Colombo after the Pakistani government withdrew its call for a boycott. The decision followed days of negotiations between the ICC and the Bangladesh Cricket Board, ending a tense impasse that had cast a shadow over the tournament.
However, Sethi offered a starkly different interpretation of how events unfolded. “Actually, it is the ICC that has taken a step back. I think the ICC has decided to step back a bit, give Bangladesh space. It was a very considered decision by Pakistan. They looked at all angles. They knew there could be no sanctions. They consulted the best lawyers at home and abroad,” Sethi told India Today.
“And there are precedents that clearly showed them that they were on a very strong wicket. And at best they would have lost a point, nothing more. And I think the ICC realized that as well, and that’s why the ICC moved and made overtures. That’s how Imran Khawaja, the deputy chief, got into action. That’s how the Pakistanis got into action that the Bangladeshis could play.” added.
The standoff began earlier this month when the Pakistani government announced it was the national team would not take the field against India in their group match in Colombo. The move has sparked uncertainty over what is widely believed to be the commercial centerpiece of the tournament.
Discussions between PCB, Bangladesh Cricket Board and ICC have intensified behind the scenes. Bangladesh had earlier come under pressure for refusing to play in India due to security concerns, and the ICC was challenged to maintain the tournament schedule and its governance framework.
According to sources Pakistan approached the negotiations with a number of demands. These included a push for India to resume bilateral cricket and the floated idea of a tri-series involving India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The ICC, whose constitution does not allow it to intervene in bilateral matters between councils, did not deal with these requests.
Instead, there was an understanding that Bangladesh would not face sanctions and that its revenue share would remain protected. Najam Sethi believes that this has become a significant outcome of the negotiations. He also suggested that the 15-day notice issued by Pakistan was part of a deliberate strategy rather than a reactionary move.
“And I think one of the reasons Pakistan gave the 15-day notice was because they wanted space to talk to the ICC and Bangladesh. And I think they had reason to believe that it would produce some results. And so I think the ICC decided to step back a little bit, give Bangladesh some space. And I think Pakistan accomplished part of their goal, which was to get the ICC to play another game threatening Bangladesh with them or some other way. Pakistan knew that the broadcasters they have the ICC on a cold footing, so to speak.”
“PAKISTAN DOESN’T SNEAK ON ICC REVENUES”
Najam Sethi also argued that the days of Pakistan relying on the ICC for financial sustenance, like many other governing bodies, are over. He argued that the Pakistan Cricket Board now earns more from its own T20 league, the Pakistan Super League, than from the ICC’s revenue distribution.
However, according to a PTI report, PCB could have faced significant financial consequences if the ICC Board decided to punish them for refusing to play the T20 World Cup match against India on February 15 in Colombo.
According to details cited by PTI, Pakistan’s share of the ICC’s 2024-2027 funding cycle is around $144 million, with the PCB entitled to receive up to $38 million per year at the highest payout rate. The same report noted that the PCB’s other major revenue stream includes around US$42 million in franchise fees from the Pakistan Super League starting this year’s 11th year, after the addition of two new teams.
“And on the issue of resources, there was a time when Pakistan depended on ICC resources for sustenance like many other boards, but not anymore. Now that the PSL has taken off in a big way, we are getting more money from the PSL than we are getting from the ICC. So Pakistan is well taken care of by its own resources. So there was never a problem – you will never see each other, you will not see any problem. concessions that have been extracted from the ICC,” he added.
The ICC and the Pakistan government announced late on Monday that the February 15 match would go ahead in Colombo, effectively ending the 10-day stalemate.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
February 10, 2026