Pakistan government has not allowed the team to play India in T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has reportedly set three conditions in front of the International Cricket Council (ICC) if it wants Pakistan to play their Group A match against India on February 15 in Colombo in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026.
Members of the PCB, together with Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) chief Aminul Islam Bulbul, met with an ICC delegation in Lahore on Sunday to discuss an amicable solution, with an emphasis on ensuring that the India-Pakistan match proceeds as planned.
The controversy arose when Pakistan's government openly proclaimed that it would not face India in the T20 World Cup, despite the fact that the match was scheduled at a neutral venue.
The conventional perception in the cricketing world was that Pakistan's attitude was an expression of sympathy with Bangladesh, which had withdrawn from the event after the ICC denied the BCB's request to shift its matches out of India due to security concerns.
After that, the ICC met with PCB executives at a high level and tried to negotiate with Pakistan. While PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, ICC Deputy Chairman Imran Khwaja, and Bangladesh Cricket Board President Aminul Islam Bulbul were in Lahore, ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta participated in the talks via Zoom.
As per the Cricbuzz report, the Pakistani team is reevaluating its position on the crucial match in Colombo. Sri Lanka has already criticized the action, outlining the enormous financial damages the nation could sustain from a boycott in the travel and hotel industries.
The report further stated that PCB has put forward three demands to the ICC if it is to reverse its stance on boycotting India at the global tournament.
The first demand is that they want a larger share of the revenue generated by the ICC. The second demand is that India restore bilateral cricketing ties with Pakistan, which is not under the purview of the ICC. The third and final demand is to enforce the handshake protocols, which are not mandatory.
This is likely due to Indian players not shaking hands with their Pakistani counterparts during the Asia Cup, the Women’s World Cup, the U19 Asia Cup, and the recent U19 World Cup.
According to Cricbuzz, Bangladesh may also seek compensation from the ICC, which Pakistan is anticipated to help facilitate as part of the ongoing negotiations.
The Pakistan Cricket Board looks to be attempting to use the three demands to exert pressure on the International Cricket Council. The PCB is likely to assume that if the India-Pakistan match is not played, the international body will lose a large portion of its TV money, and that this leverage will drive the ICC to concede to its demands.
The PCB receives 5.75% of the overall revenue collected by the ICC. According to 2023 figures, Pakistan earns USD 34.51 million annually from the ICC, funds that are crucial to the country's cricketing ecosystem. Only three boards make more money than the PCB: Cricket Australia (USD 128 million), the England and Wales Cricket Board (USD 139 million), and the BCCI (USD 293 million).
India has not played Pakistan in bilateral cricket since 2012-13, and the Test match between the two sides happened in 2007. Since then, the two sides have only played in ICC and ACC tournaments.
The ICC called Pakistan's bluff by using the Force Majeure Article, forcing the country to seek negotiation. The ICC questioned the legitimacy of the move, citing the evidential requirement for non-participation.
(Cricbuzz inputs)