The marquee India vs Pakistan fixture will go ahead as scheduled on February 15 in Colombo.
The Pakistan government has made a dramatic U-turn, allowing its men’s cricket team to play the scheduled T20 World Cup 2026 group-stage match against India on February 15 in Colombo.
The change in stance came a day after a meeting in Lahore, involving officials from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), and the International Cricket Council (ICC).
The decision was confirmed through social media by Government of Pakistan's official handle. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the government's move to reverse the boycott was influenced by requests from "friendly countries," including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the UAE, as well as the "outcomes achieved" through multilateral discussions.
Reactions have been pouring in from all quarters after the Pakistan team received clearance to take the field against the arch-rivals.
Speaking on the Game on Hai show, former Pakistan skipper Mohammad Hafeez slammed the ICC for letting the situation escalate to this stage that it needed to bargain with the PCB.
“What was the conclusion of the politics played with the sport over the last two or three weeks? First, we must look at the pain caused to cricket fans sitting all over the world—whether it was a Bangladeshi fan, an England supporter, or someone supporting Pakistan. Fans everywhere were hurt by this decision. My only question is: who was wrong?” Hafeez said.
He added, “Someone was at fault, yet it wasn’t disclosed whose mistake it was. Compensation is being given, but on what basis? If it’s based on a mistake, why wasn’t it admitted? Afterward, they claim they are taking this decision to protect ‘integrity and spirit.’ Where were these claimants before? The question is, why did it even take this turn?”
Hafeez continued, “This is a total failure of the ICC and their administration. This must be accepted first. Beyond that, whether Bangladesh gets a favor, a tournament, or a participation fee—and ensuring no sanctions are placed on them—is fine. But the character who played the wrong role needs to be exposed. If they remain hidden, we might see such cases again. Unless a mistake is realized, highlighted, and accepted, you cannot improve. In this whole matter, I still don’t understand who was at fault.”
In the end, Hafeez was also happy that the marquee India versus Pakistan fixture would go ahead as scheduled.
“In my opinion, whatever happened was not good for cricket. Regarding the Pakistan-India match, I am always in favor of them playing. This is the rivalry that inspires the entire world. I hope this match happens—and I hope it’s not just this one match. I want India and Pakistan matches to happen routinely,” Hafeez remarked.
The ICC also released a statement confirming the participation of Pakistan in all their scheduled T20 World Cup 2026 matches, including the high-profile encounter against India.
“The dialogue between ICC and PCB took place as part of a broader engagement with both parties recognising the need for constructive dealings and being united, committed and purposeful in their aspirations to serve the best interests of the game with integrity, neutrality and cooperation.
“In that prevailing spirit, it was agreed that all members will respect their commitments as per the terms of participation for ICC events and do all that is necessary to ensure that the ongoing edition of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup is a success.
“With respect to Bangladesh, the ICC reiterated its continued facilitation of growth in one of cricket’s most vibrant markets, with more than 200 million passionate fans to ensure that the national team's non-participation in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 does not have any long-term effects on cricket in the country,” the statement read.