The Pakistan Cricket Board has set out several requirements to lift its boycott of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 match against India, scheduled for February 15. However, the International Cricket Council has turned down three of these requests, which include resuming bilateral matches between India and Pakistan and holding a tri-series involving Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India.
The ICC has given PCB head Mohsin Naqvi one day to discuss with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and confirm the board’s final position. An announcement regarding the status of the India-Pakistan match is expected from the ICC on Monday evening or Tuesday morning.
The five-hour meeting included Mohsin Naqvi, ICC Deputy Chairman Imran Khwaja, and Bangladesh Cricket Board president Aminul Islam Bulbul. Pakistan expressed frustration with the ICC’s decision to replace Bangladesh in the tournament with Scotland.
The Pakistani government has denied the national team permission to play against India in the World Cup, citing support for Bangladesh and accusing the ICC of inconsistency.
Five demands of PCB
- Bangladesh should not face penalties for withdrawing from the World Cup and must receive ICC revenue, a decision already made by the ICC.
The ICC was also asked to assign a global tournament to Bangladesh after the T20 World Cup was relocated to Dubai due to unrest in the country. A U-19 World Cup in a future cycle could potentially be hosted in a South Asian nation.
Pakistan requested that bilateral series with India be restarted, but the ICC rejected this, stating that such matters depend on governmental decisions.
The proposals for the tri-series and Bangladesh’s tour of India were also declined.
Matches between India and Pakistan generate significant revenue, with an estimated INR 2,200 crore at stake. To maximize earnings, the ICC has consistently placed the two teams in the same group for major tournaments since 2012.
