T20 World Cup: Pakistan Likely to Reconsider Boycotting Match against India
Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Feb 7: Taking shelter under Sri Lankan Cricket’s request, a worried Pakistan Cricket Board has hinted at the possibility of re-thinking on boycotting its match against India in the T20 World Cup scheduled to be played in Colombo on February 15.
Sources close to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Saturday that the board was expected to “consult” its government again to take a final decision on boycotting the match against India which, its Sri Lankan counterpart apprehended, could hit the friendly country’s tourism sector very badly.
The Pakistan government has allowed the PCB to send the national team to the T20 World Cup but stopped it from playing against India, which is commercially the biggest match for the International Cricket Council (ICC) and its broadcasters. This has led to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) sending an email to PCB, saying not having the February 15 marquee match between the arch-rivals would cause financial losses to the SLC and also hurt the organisation and image of the tournament in the island country which is jointly hosting the showpiece with India.
Pakistan started their quest in the World Cup with its match against Netherlands on Saturday and is playing all its games in Colombo and Pallekele. “Obviously Pakistan has always enjoyed very close and friendly ties with Sri Lanka at the government-to-government and cricket level. So the mail from their Board can’t be ignored just like that,” the PCB sources said.
“Mohsin Naqvi has been contacted directly by the Sri Lankan Board President Shammi Silva and been reminded that at this time Sri Lanka need Pakistan to step up for them as without Pakistan and India matches, the Sri Lankan Board would stand to lose extra revenues from gate money, hospitality sales etc,” the source added.
The source said Naqvi had assured his counterpart (Shammi Silva) he would consult the government and get back to him. He said media reports that Pakistan had also rejected Sri Lanka’s request were not correct. “PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has not even been in the country since yesterday and is due back today. He will bring the email to the notice of the Prime Minister on ending the boycott of the India match and then a decision would be made on the matter by Monday,” the source said.
He noted that as recently as last November, the Sri Lankan government had firmly stood with Pakistan when some of its players wanted to return home from a tour of Pakistan because of security concerns. “Not only the Sri Lankan Board but the government directed the players to complete the white ball tour.”
