Pakistan have reversed their decision to boycott their group-stage match against India after their Prime Minister announced on social media. In a post on X, the Pakistan government said it had cleared the team to play “in view of the outcomes achieved, as well as the request of friendly countries.”
Pakistan to play vs India in T20WC, reports Pak state media
Pakistan has agreed to play the match against India in the T20 World Cup, state-run Pakistan TV reported on Monday night.
In a post on the social media platform X, the broadcaster said: “Pakistan has agreed to play the T20 World Cup match against India on February 15, following requests from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, with India accepting Pakistan’s preconditions”.
Pakistan had earlier threatened to boycott the fixture on advice from its government, but the latest developments indicate that the contest will proceed as per the original calendar.
The breakthrough came after marathon discussions held on Sunday, where the ICC is understood to have offered Pakistan no major concessions, but agreed to take a lenient approach towards Bangladesh despite the team’s absence from the tournament.
ICC assures no sanction on Bangladesh
In a media release issued after the meeting, the ICC said it had concluded an “open, constructive and congenial dialogue” with the PCB and BCB, covering the T20 World Cup and the broader outlook for cricket in South Asia.
“The ICC’s approach is guided by its principles of neutrality and fairness and reflects the shared objective of facilitative support rather than punishment,” the governing body said.
Bangladesh had refused to travel to India for the tournament citing security concerns and was subsequently replaced, prompting a political and cricketing flashpoint in the region.
Hosting assurance for Bangladesh
As part of the understanding reached during the dialogue, the ICC said Bangladesh will be awarded the hosting rights for an ICC event between 2028 and 2031, subject to standard hosting processes and timelines. The event will be held before the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2031.
The ICC said the decision reflected its confidence in Bangladesh’s ability to host global tournaments and its commitment to ensuring the country’s cricketing development does not suffer long-term damage.
While reflecting on Bangladesh’s absence from the Men’s T20 World Cup, the ICC reaffirmed the BCB’s status as a valued Full Member and described Bangladesh as a “vital role” player in global cricket growth, noting that the country has over 200 million cricket fans.
Pakistan boycott threat withdrawn
Cricbuzz reported that Pakistan, which had indicated it could boycott the match against India, did not gain significantly from the Lahore meeting. However, the ICC’s decision to not punish Bangladesh is believed to have played a key role in easing the standoff.
The BCB, in turn, has appealed to Pakistan to honour the February 15 engagement with India, helping pave the way for the match to go ahead.
ICC CEO calls Bangladesh a “priority cricket ecosystem”
ICC chief executive Sanjog Gupta said Bangladesh’s non-participation in the tournament was regrettable, but stressed that the ICC’s long-term commitment to the country remained unchanged.
“Bangladesh’s absence from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is regrettable, but it does not alter the ICC’s enduring commitment to Bangladesh as a core cricketing nation,” Gupta said.
He added that Bangladesh remained a “priority cricket ecosystem deserving of long-term investment” and should not be judged by “short-term disruptions”.
The ICC, PCB and BCB said they would continue dialogue and cooperation in the best interests of the sport, stressing that the understanding was aimed at protecting the integrity of the game and preserving unity within the cricket fraternity.
