Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has written a letter of thanks to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif after Pakistan confirmed to play India in their much-awaited ICC Men’s T20 World Cup clash in Colombo on February 15. The news came soon after Pakistan dramatically reversed its proposed boycott, clearing the way for the tournament to resume.
The India vs Pakistan match was briefly thrown into limbo after Pakistan floated the possibility of refusing to take the field. After an extended meeting on Monday involving the PCB, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the International Cricket Council (ICC), Pakistan changed their stance and confirmed that they will play the match as planned. Dissanayake took X after the decision and expressed his relief and gratitude while praising the behind-the-scenes efforts to keep the competition intact.
“Thank you Prime Minister @CMShehbaz for ensuring the continuation of the game we all love. We are delighted that the eagerly awaited India-Pakistan match in the ongoing T20 Cricket World Cup in Colombo will go ahead as planned,” he wrote.
“As tournament co-host, Sri Lanka thanks @ICC and all involved for their efforts. Sri Lanka has not forgotten the solidarity shown by India and Pakistan during the 1996 World Cup when they played in Colombo when others were held back due to security concerns,” he added.
How did Pakistan get India to boycott the turnaround?
Pakistan’s change of attitude followed the streak high level talks involving PCB, ICC and Bangladesh Cricket Board. The meeting at Pakistan’s Gaddafi Stadium, which lasted at least five hours, was aimed at ensuring that the World Cup’s most watched and highest-grossing match was not derailed.
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi later briefed Prime Minister Sharif on what was discussed and the results achieved. Soon after, the Pakistan government confirmed through their official social media account that the national team will take the field against India on February 15.
Sharif said the decision was shaped by the demands of “friendly countries”, namely Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the UAE, along with progress made through multilateral discussions with ICC officials.
Following the announcement, BCB President Aminul Islam Bulbul also urged Pakistan to play the match and stressed the importance of keeping the tournament marquee on track. Sri Lanka Cricket also reportedly wrote to the PCB earlier asking them to reconsider their rejection.
Why did Pakistan threaten to boycott India?
Initial threat to boycott Pakistan was linked to his support for Bangladesh, which was removed from the tournament due to security concerns. Pakistan has indicated that it will not play against arch-rivals India as a show of solidarity with Bangladesh’s position.
However, the scale of the India-Pakistan World Cup fixture meant that pressure to reverse course was mounting rapidly. Thanks to ICC intervention and strong persuasion from co-hosts Sri Lanka, Pakistan eventually backed down from the boycott call.
The turnaround ensures that the February 15 clash in Colombo will go ahead as planned and will keep the tournament’s biggest rivalry alive where it matters most, on the pitch.
T20 World Cup | T20 World Cup Schedule | T20 World Cup Points Table | T20 World Cup Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
– The end
Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
February 10, 2026
