this Pakistan The government decided not to allow the national team to participate in the group stage matches India During the 2026 T20 World Cup. Following Pakistan’s decision, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has been exploring back channel options to de-escalate the situation and avoid financial losses.

On Sunday, the Pakistan government confirmed that the Salman Ali Agha-led team will participate in the International ICC Championship but will boycott the match against India. India and Pakistan both belong to Group A of the 2026 T20 World Cup, and the event will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka.

All Pakistan’s matches are scheduled to be played in Sri Lanka. The India-Pakistan match was originally scheduled to be played at the R. Premadasa Stadium on February 15, but now the match will be boycotted.

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Secret talks underway after Pakistan decide to skip T20 World Cup against India

According to the Hindustan Times, the Pakistan Cricket Board and the International Cricket Council held secret talks. These discussions began after the International Chamber of Commerce asked the PCB to find solutions that protect all stakeholders.

“There are some secret talks between the PCB and the ICC,” an official aware of the matter told HT.

The ICC did not explain how the negotiations took place or whether anyone acted as a mediator. The uncertainty over the India-Pakistan match has caused concern in the cricket world.

“The ICC hopes that the PCB will explore a mutually acceptable solution that protects the interests of all stakeholders,” the statement said.

The board of directors is like England and the Welsh Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket Australia (CA) expressed dissatisfaction with the PCB’s decision. The Board of Control for Cricket in India has not held any discussions with the PCB on the matter.

As India-Pakistan match faces uncertain future, ICC may still seek solution

With less than two weeks left before India’s scheduled match against Pakistan, there is still a chance to resolve the issue. If no deal is reached, there could be a scenario where India travels to Colombo, Pakistan is absent, and Pakistan loses league points.

The ICC may convene a member committee meeting to collectively respond to the PCB’s decision. Notably, the PCB has not officially informed the ICC that the move was ordered by the government. However, the board could still face sanctions and the issue could have serious consequences.

“The ICC has made an important statement and they have spoken about sportsmanship. We completely agree with the ICC. The BCCI will not make any comment on this until we speak to the ICC,” BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla told reporters on Monday.

PCB to bear losses if India-Pak match is boycotted

Earlier, the Bangladesh Cricket Board said Bangladesh would only host the World Cup if the tournament is moved out of India. The ICC dropped Bangladesh from the tournament and replaced it with Scotland after the BCB refused to change its stance.

The financial impact of a possible boycott of the India-Pakistan match is still being assessed. If the PCB does not change its stance, the ICC is expected to pursue it for any damages caused. There is no fixed value assigned to individual matches during the ICC media rights bidding period.

However, in the 2024-27 cycle, ICC secured $3 billion worth of deals from the Indian market. If the T20 World Cup is worth around $750 million, industry estimates suggest the India-Pakistan match alone is worth close to $100 million.

Barring the two semi-finals and the final, India’s matches have been the most watched, while Pakistan’s matches have continued to deliver big returns. PCB is seen as using this commercial importance as leverage, and politics also plays a role.

Also read: Pakistan’s absence from 2026 T20 World Cup against India puts Rs 4,500 crore revenue at risk