India – Pakistan Match may Finally be Held, Pakistan Hints at U-Turn from its Boycott Call

Manas Dasgupta

NEW DELHI, Feb 8: India – Pakistan match in the on-going T20 World Cup may be played as per schedule in Colombo on February 15 with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is learnt to be all set to take U-turn from its earlier threat of boycotting the match under orders from its government.

Sources said the 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.

In a bid to resolve the escalating tension, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President, Aminul Islam Bulbul, has also intervened and reached Lahore on Sunday for a crucial meeting with the PCB to break the deadlock on the ongoing controversy.  In fact, two ICC officials, also reached 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.

In an unprecedented move, the Pakistan government and the PCB have thrown their weight behind Bangladesh. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed that the national team has been directed to boycott their high-profile clash against India. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has described Bangladesh’s exclusion as “unjust” and “politically motivated,” asserting that no board should be pressured into playing in a location where they feel unsafe.

The cricketing world is watching closely. With the India vs Pakistan match, the tournament’s biggest commercial draw, only a week away, the ICC faces immense pressure to find a resolution that satisfies all parties without compromising the tournament’s integrity.

The ICC CEO, Sanjog Gupta has also been to Colombo to meet with the President of the Sri Lankan board, Shammi Silva who sent the email to Naqvi to play the India match in the World Cup. The ICC has already 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 after the PCB tried to wriggle out of the situation by putting the onus on its government.

But there is a glimmer of hope now as PCB has approached the ICC for deliberations, as per an ICC Director, who feels that the marquee clash will eventually take place.

According to some media reports, Pakistan has  softened its stand on the matter once ICC conveyed the potential damages that they could claim from PCB if the team fails to show up for the India match. While Pakistan have labelled the situation as ‘force majeure’, the ICC explained that this specific situation doesn’t qualify as one.

The sport’s top governing body even asked the Pakistan board to demonstrate what it had done to mitigate it. “The ICC will now engage in a structured manner to solve the problem; there would be a dialogue, not confrontation,” an official said, as per the report. “Subsequent to the receipt of the formal communication from the ICC, PCB approached the international body to initiate further dialogue. ICC is currently engaging with the board in a structured manner to explore possible resolutions.”

In its communication to the ICC, the PCB pressed the ‘force majeure’ clause, while citing the government’s social media post on February 1 that instructed them to participate in the T20 World Cup but boycott the India game. In reply, the ICC said that PCB was invoking force majeure ‘without any further questions, explanation or justification.’

In the last few days, the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has also written to the PCB, asking them to reverse their boycott stance as it would hurt the board’s financial health. “From the demand for tickets, it was evident that we were going to receive a huge boost economically, as people who turn up for the fixture will definitely spend a few more days exploring the country. So it is a huge loss for everyone. It is a grim picture,” Bandula Dissanayake, Sri Lanka Cricket secretary, had said.

Replying to SLC’s mail, the PCB had said it would speak to the Pakistan government over the matter and explore possible U-turn options.