Pakistan had earlier declined to play the high-profile T20 World Cup match against India; however, Indian media has claimed that negotiations between the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) are underway, increasing the chances of the match being held on 15 February in Colombo.
According to details, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi chose not to make a unilateral decision and, following a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, it was decided that Pakistan would boycott the match against India.
Indian media reports, however, claim that the ICC has been holding continuous discussions with Pakistan.
In one such report, Indian media stated that the high-voltage Pakistan–India clash is not only of major interest to cricket fans worldwide but also carries significant financial implications for various stakeholders.
The report claimed that if Pakistan is persuaded, the match is likely to go ahead as scheduled on 15 February.
Earlier, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav also stated that India’s match against Pakistan was scheduled in Colombo and that the team would travel there accordingly.
He added that the decision to boycott the match was Pakistan’s, and if Pakistan agreed to play, India would be ready to deliver a strong performance.
It is worth noting that Pakistan decided to boycott the match in solidarity with Bangladesh, following the ICC’s unilateral decision to exclude Bangladesh from the tournament. The ICC subsequently allocated Bangladesh’s slot to Scotland.
An online report by Indian newspaper The Telegraph further claimed that back-channel talks are ongoing between the ICC and Pakistan, with the PCB placing certain conditions before the global cricket body to ensure the fixture takes place as per schedule.
While a deadlock over the match reportedly remains, the report suggested that optimism surrounding the Pakistan–India encounter has increased over the past 48 hours.
Pakistan has so far not confirmed the claims made by the Indian media.
