Both the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have maintained silence since chaos erupted on Sunday night, after the Pakistan government directed its players not to take the field in the Group A T20 World Cup match against India on February 15. While the ICC has effectively left the ball in Pakistan’s court through a strongly worded response to the boycott threat, the PCB has yet to make its next move.
According to a Cricbuzz report, there has been no clarity on an ICC Board meeting to discuss the issue, with the website citing conversations with multiple board directors. The report further added that the PCB has still not officially informed the ICC of its intention to forfeit the group match against India in Colombo.
At present, the PCB has only received a directive from the Pakistan government, communicated through a social media post on X on Sunday night. While the players have been given approval to participate in the T20 World Cup, they have been explicitly instructed not to play the match against India. However, social media posts do not constitute official communication in ICC protocols.
The announcement did not sit well with the ICC, which made its position clear that selective participation would not be accepted and could attract severe sanctions if the PCB proceeds with the boycott.
In a statement issued on Sunday night, the ICC said: “While the ICC awaits official communication from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), this position of selective participation is difficult to reconcile with the fundamental premise of a global sporting event where all qualified teams are expected to compete on equal terms per the event schedule.
“ICC tournaments are built on sporting integrity, competitiveness, consistency and fairness, and selective participation undermines the spirit and sanctity of the competitions.”
Despite the boycott threat, Team India is reportedly set to travel to Sri Lanka for the fixture and will adhere to all ICC protocols, including scheduled training sessions and the mandatory pre-match press conference.
For India to be awarded a walkover, captain Suryakumar Yadav will have to walk out for the toss and wait for his Pakistan counterpart, Salman Ali Agha. If the Pakistan captain does not appear, the match referee will formally award the two points to India on the grounds of forfeiture.
