Islamabad: There has been a clear shift in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)’s tone over boycotting the February 15 match against India in the 2026 T20 World Cup. After the Pakistani government’s brief social media statement asking the team not to take the field against India in Colombo, the initial worry among several stakeholders was that the match would indeed not happen, leading to massive losses for all boards.
However, now, reports in India claim that the Mohsin Naqvi-led PCB approached the ICC looking for a resolution. While the PCB has denied this, back-channel talks are underway in Lahore.
According to a report in NDTV, this softening of PCB’s stance came after the International Cricket Council (ICC) questioned the board over the reasoning for its use of the Force Majeure clause to boycott the game, which the Pakistanis had reportedly indicated. In simple terms, the Force Majeure allows a party to escape an obligation if the situation is out of its control — but the ICC has clear terms to invoke it.
If the PCB still decides to go ahead with the boycott, it would need to prove that it made ‘reasonable efforts to mitigate the impact’, which could lead to a tricky legal battle.
Meanwhile, Imran Khwaja, the ICC’s deputy chair, arrived in Lahore on Sunday to hold high-level discussions with Naqvi. Khwaja, an influential member who represents Singapore, has been nominated by the ICC as a mediator on the issue.
He is also expected to take part in a virtual meeting with other ICC board members later in the day. Bangladesh Cricket Board president Aminul Islam is also in Lahore and has already met Naqvi.
According to PTI, the ICC is working to convince the PCB to seek government clearance for the game, stressing the broader interests of the tournament. Aminul’s presence is significant given that the dispute has its roots in the ICC’s decision to replace Bangladesh with Scotland after Bangladesh declined to play its World Cup matches in India, citing security concerns.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has stated that the decision to not play India was taken in solidarity with Bangladesh, whose request to shift matches to Sri Lanka was turned down by the ICC. While Naqvi has largely refrained from public comment, sources indicate the situation has evolved following a communication from Sri Lanka Cricket urging the PCB to end the boycott.
Despite the impasse, there is cautious optimism within the ICC that the match will eventually be played, with structured talks continuing to find a resolution acceptable to all parties.
