Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi said on Tuesday that Pakistan had “no vested interest” in boycotting their T20 World Cup clash with India, insisting the move was solely aimed at ensuring Bangladesh’s “respect” following their ouster from the tournament.
During Sunday’s meeting with the International Cricket Council (ICC) The PCB has made several demands and at the same time reiterated his stance on boycotting the February 15 match against India. However, the ICC rejected three of these proposals, including calls to resume bilateral cricket between India and Pakistan and the tri-series with Bangladesh, Pakistan and India.
Bangladesh were earlier banned from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup after refusing to travel to India citing security concerns. In response, the Pakistan government announced that its team would not take the field for the group stage match on February 15 in Colombo.
However, the impasse was resolved late on Monday evening following discussions involving the PCB, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and International Cricket Council (ICC), with Islamabad withdrawing its boycott directive.
“We did not discuss anything except Bangladesh. Our only aim was to gain the respect of Bangladesh and highlight the injustice done to them,” Naqvi said.
“Any demands of Bangladesh were accepted. We had no personal interest in the meeting. Our task was purely for Bangladesh. The government took the decision on that basis,” he added.
Naqvi further stated that once Bangladesh’s concerns were addressed and “it was recognized that an injustice had been done to them”, Pakistan agreed to play the match as scheduled.
“Following the ICC press release, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed the Pakistan cricket team to play a match against India on February 15,” PCB spokesperson Amir Mir said in a statement shared on social media.
Shehbaz Sharif’s directive formally ended Pakistan’s threat to boycott the crucial group stage match.
PIVOT MEETING in LAHORE
The breakthrough followed a meeting in Lahore on Sunday between Naqvi, BCB president Aminul Islam and ICC vice-chairman Imran Khwaja aimed at easing tensions over the proposed boycott.
In a statement issued on Monday, The Pakistani government confirmed its revised position.
“In view of the results achieved in the 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 15 February 2026 for the scheduled ICC Men’s T20 World Cup match,” the statement said.
He added that the decision was taken “to protect the spirit of cricket and to promote the continuity of this global sport in all participating countries”.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also reportedly received a phone call from Sri Lankan President Anura Kumar Dissanayake urging Pakistan to allow the match to go ahead.
ICC HAS A GREAT VIEW OF BANGLADESH
Despite the marathon tripartite meeting, Pakistan does not appear to have secured any major concessions apart from assurances on Bangladesh’s position.
The ICC has confirmed that it will not impose any financial, sporting or administrative sanctions on BCB in relation to the episode. Bangladesh were replaced in the marquee tournament by Scotland after refusing to play in India.
“It is acknowledged that BCB retains the right to refer to the Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC) if it so chooses. This right exists under the current ICC Regulations and remains unaffected,” the ICC said.
“The ICC’s approach is guided by its principles of neutrality and fairness and reflects the common goal of facilitative support rather than punishment.”
The BCB in return formally appealed to Pakistan to honor the match on 15 February.
“After my brief visit to Pakistan yesterday and in view of the outcome of our discussions, I request Pakistan to play an ICC T20 World Cup match against India on February 15 for the benefit of the entire cricket ecosystem,” BCB president Aminul Islam said.
SECURING FUTURE HOSTING
As part of the agreement between the ICC and the BCB, it was agreed that Bangladesh will host the ICC event ahead of the 2031 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, which will be co-hosted by India and Bangladesh. The arrangement, the ICC clarified, remains subject to standard host processes, timelines and operational requirements.
The episode briefly cast doubt on one of the most watched tournaments, but with the boycott lifted, Pakistan are now scheduled to face India in Colombo.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
February 10, 2026