Earlier this month, the Pakistan government directed its national team to boycott the T20 World Cup group-stage match against India on February 15 in Colombo.

Now, a report published in PTI claims that the ICC has sought an explanation from Pakistan on how the force majeure clause can be invoked to justify the team's refusal to play India, after the PCB attempted to shift responsibility onto its government.

The apex has asked the Pakistan board to explain how it can pullout of a single match while continuing to play the rest of the tournament on government instructions.

According to the report, the PCB had formally written to the ICC a few days ago, expressing its intention to invoke the force majeure clause and mentioned a government post barring the team from playing India.

However, the ice seems to be melting now, with both two parties engaging in dialogue. “After receiving the ICC's formal communication, the PCB initiated additional discussions. The ICC is currently engaging with the board in a structured manner to explore possible resolutions, with the view that the interests of the game must supersede unilateral action,” the report stated.

While the Pakistan government didn’t specify a reason for the boycott move, it is being seen as an act of solidarity with Bangladesh after their removal from the 20-tournament for refusing to travel to India citing 'security concerns'.

The ICC has reportedly sent quite a few queries, asking the PCB to demonstrate what efforts it made to mitigate the situation, explore alternatives, or seek exemptions before opting to forfeit a single game.

It is learnt that the global body has also chalked out the conditions under which force majeure can legally be invoked, the evidence required to justify withdrawal from a scheduled match, and the broader sporting, commercial, and governance consequences of such a step.

The ICC has also emphasized the damages it could potentially claim if Pakistan's invocation of the clause is found to be unacceptable.

In its communication, the Jay Shah-led body has mentioned that selective participation undermines the core premise of a global tournament and could expose the PCB to breach-of-contract claims as well as disciplinary action under ICC regulations.

According to sources, the global body has followed the same protocol it used with Bangladesh, who were engaged in extensive deliberations over several days before being ousted from the tournament.

(With PTI Inputs)