T20 World Cup: Final Decision on India – Pakistan Match After Consulting Government: PCB

Manas Dasgupta

NEW DELHI, Feb 9: A final decision on Pakistan playing its match against India in the on-going T20 World Cup in Colombo on February 15 is expected to be announced by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after it consults its government as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) made it clear that India would go by the decision taken by the International Cricket Council (BCCI) on the issue.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, the BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla reiterated that India would follow the decision taken by the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding the India-Pakistan ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 match issue. Rajeev Shukla said, “As I have clarified before, whatever the ICC decides, we will go with that decision. The BCCI has nothing to say in this.”

Notably, a breakthrough on the match standoff brightened on Monday after a meeting between the ICC, the PCB and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), according to Pakistan media. An ICC delegation, led by Deputy Chairman Imran Khawaja, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, and BCB President Aminul Islam, met in Lahore on Sunday to discuss Pakistan’s decision to boycott the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 match against India.

This development comes after the official X handle of the Pakistan Government announced that the Men in Green would not take the field in the Feb 15 clash, and later Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif linked this boycott to the controversy with Bangladesh, citing it as a symbol of solidarity.

Bangladesh were replaced by Scotland in the 2026 T20 World Cup, as their request to have all their matches played outside India could not be agreed upon by the ICC, which they put in place because of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) pacer Mustafizur Rahman being removed from the squad after instructions from the BCCI amid concerns related to atrocities against minorities in Bangladesh.

The ICC is understood to have asked the PCB to demonstrate what it had done to mitigate the ‘Force Majeure’ event, as it is needed by the Members Participation Agreement (MPA). Notably, the ICC received an email from the PCB citing government orders as the reason for its controversial boycott, which came less than 10 days before the start of the tournament.

Also, ICC is believed to have conditions in detail under which ‘Force Majeure’ can be invoked legitimately, and the evidentiary threshold needed for non-participation in the tournament, sporting, commercial, and governance implications of such a step. The ICC informed PCB of the potential material damage the former could incur if the match does not go ahead. The global governing body does not want any confrontation, but under their constitution, they are allowed to go ahead with suspension/termination of a membership if there is a massive breach of obligations supposed to be fulfilled.

PCB also believes that if the matter becomes contentious, they have a strong case because there is a reference to an old PCB-BCCI dispute that reached the ICC Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC) regarding a bilateral series. It was about BCCI allegedly failing to honour a 2014 MoU between the two boards to play six bilateral series between 2013 and 2015. PCB lost their claim for damages but believes the Indian government’s refusal to grant BCCI permission to proceed with the series sets a precedent for them.

According to sources. The PCB set forward a number of demands before the ICC and the two bodies have been in negotiation recently. Bangladesh, who were replaced from the T20 World Cup after refusing to travel to India, are also involved in the negotiations. After missing out on hosting the U19 Women’s T20 World Cup last year, and now being replaced from the Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, the PCB lobbied for Bangladesh to be allowed to entirely host a different global tournament, according to sources. The ICC are seemingly considering an U19 World Cup.

According to sources, one of Pakistan’s demands to the ICC was intervention regarding bilaterals between India and Pakistan in the future. The two nations have not played any bilateral series since 2012-13. However, the ICC rejected this request, stating that bilaterals falls outside its mandate, including during the WTC cycle.

While there have been several reports and information coming through regarding Pakistan and Bangladesh’s demands to the ICC, no official statement has been made by anybody yet. As per Pakistan-based media reports, both sides are likely to make an announcement only after approval from the Pakistan government.