India-Pakistan T20 World Cup match back on table? PCB initiates dialogue with ICC, says report
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has shown positive signs of taking a U-turn from their stance of boycotting the match against India at the T20 World Cup 2026. As reported by The Indian Express, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has initiated dialogue with the International Cricket Council (ICC) over the fixture, which for now remains uncertain.
The move by PCB comes after ICC presented them a detailed response to the Force Majeure clause invoked by the cricket board. The global body has asked PCB to justify pulling out of one match while playing the remaining tournament on government instructions.
The two nations are scheduled to meet in Colombo on February 15 but as per an order by the Pakistan government their players “won’t be taking the field” against India.
“The ICC will now engage in a structured manner to solve the problem, there would be a dialogue not confrontation,” an official was quoted as saying in the report.
A few days back, the PCB had officially written to the ICC about wanting to invoke the ‘Force Majeure’ clause and cited the government’s tweet, banning the team from the February 15 clash in Colombo, as the reason.
The decision to boycott came after talks between PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi and their Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The ICC was quick to take note of the development and asked PCB to reconsider its stance or face long-term implications.
Amidst this even Sri Lanka Cricket Board (SLC) wrote to the PCB urging them to re-evaluate its position. SLC wrote a two-page letter reminding PCB of Sri Lanka’s previous assistance to Pakistan during difficult times. The letter also underlined serious financial repercussions the co-hosts would face if Pakistan stick to their decision.
Meanwhile, India captain Suryakumar Yadav confirmed that his team will travel to Colombo irrespective of the uncertainty around the match.
Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha at the captains’ media conference on Thursday said the team would respect the government’s call and do what they are directed. “The India game is not in our control. The government has decided and we respect that. Whatever they are saying we’ll do.
“We are playing three other (group) games and we are excited about that,” he said.
-with PTI inputs
