Bangladesh's Plea To Pakistan Over Playing India At The T20 World Cup: "For The Benefit Of Entire Cricket..."

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has made a surprising appeal to Pakistan after weeks of boycott drama that threatened the "biggest cricket match" of the T20 World Cup 2026. The BCB, which met with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the International Cricket Council (ICC), wrote a letter to its Pakistani counterparts requesting that they play against India. This effectively means that an official announcement regarding Pakistan making a U-turn on its boycott threat could come at any moment.

BCB president Md Aminul Islam said in the letter: "We are deeply moved by Pakistan's efforts to go above and beyond in supporting Bangladesh during this period. Long may our brotherhood flourish.

"Following my short visit to Pakistan yesterday, and given the forthcoming outcomes of our discussions, I request Pakistan to play the ICC T20 World Cup game on 15 February against India for the benefit of the entire cricket ecosystem."

Sources have already told NDTV that the India vs Pakistan match is on. Now, after Bangladesh's letter, it appears likely that Pakistan will announce the decision officially as well. While Aminul's letter might make it seem as though Bangladesh is taking a generous stand "for the benefit of cricket," in reality, it appears to be more of a face-saving proposal for Pakistan. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had publicly stated that the country would boycott the India match. A reversal now would not only dent the Pakistan Cricket Board's reputation but also impact the country's image. Hence, the letter seems intended to provide optics that could help Pakistan avoid further criticism from its own people.

Media reports in Pakistan said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also received a call from Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who urged him to withdraw the boycott call. Geo News reported that Sharif responded by assuring that Pakistan would play against India.

Acknowledging hectic parleys with the ICC, also involving his Bangladesh counterpart Aminul Islam, Naqvi said the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is waiting for a response from the ICC and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on certain issues. The game against India is scheduled to be held in Colombo on February 15

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team Pakistan Cricket Team Bangladesh Cricket Team T20 World Cup 2026 Cricket