Pakistan's Turnaround Over India Boycott Happened After ICC Letter. Here Are The Details

The T20 World Cup 2026 clash between Pakistan and India on February 15 is likely to go ahead as scheduled, according to sources. It has been learned that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has approached the International Cricket Council (ICC) to discuss its boycott of the high-profile contest in Colombo. According to sources, this sudden change of tone comes after the ICC sought an explanation from Pakistan on how the force majeure clause can be invoked to justify the team's refusal to play the T20 World Cup match against India-especially after the PCB attempted to shift responsibility onto its government.

According to sources, BCB chairman Aminul Islam Bulbul reached Lahore on Sunday for a crucial meeting with PCB officials to break the deadlock on the ongoing controversy. In fact, two ICC officials are also flying to Lahore for a meeting involving both BCB and PCB.

The ICC has already warned the PCB against going ahead with the 'boycott' plan, as the decision is likely to invite severe sanctions, ranging from heavy financial penalties and the forfeiture of points to a potential suspension of the board's membership and the loss of hosting rights for future global events.

The controversy began when the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), backed by the country's interim government, refused to send its national team to India for its group-stage games, citing security concerns. Despite the ICC's assurance that there was no verifiable security threat to the Bangladesh national team, the BCB maintained its stance. As a result, the ICC had no other choice but to replace Bangladesh with Scotland for the tournament.

Both Pakistan and India made tense starts to their T20 World Cup campaigns. Pakistan overcame a scare against the Netherlands to clinch a three-wicket victory in the opening match of the tournament in Colombo. India, on the other hand, survived a scare against the USA-the team that had stunned Pakistan in the previous T20 World Cup.

Topics mentioned in this article

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