itstargetnews
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has a big problem in the middle of the 2026 T20 World Cup. All the drama surrounds the Group A match between India and Pakistan on February 15 in Colombo. The Pakistan government has directed the PCB to boycott Indian matches, but there is no unity within the board.
Mohsin Naqvi, PCB officials at odds over India-Pakistan conflict
According to NDTV, Mohsin Naqvi, chairman of the Pakistan Central Committee and interior minister of the Pakistani government, hopes to follow the order of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and boycott the Indian team’s matches at the 2026 T20 World Cup in Colombo.
But several PCB officials are open to the idea of playing in India to avoid problems with the International Cricket Council (ICC). Time is running out to make a decision on the February 15 conflict between India and Pakistan. The PCB and the ICC have been having hush-hush discussions for many days.
Your daily dose of cricket!
High-level meeting with ICC warns of consequences
ICC Vice-President Imran Khwaja, who represents Singapore at the board of directors, is chairing the talks. He reportedly warned Pakistan that there would be dire consequences if the team did not participate in the tournament. Imran Khwaja, Naqvi, Bangladesh Cricket Board Chairman Aminul Islam and other PCB officials held an important meeting at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Sunday, February 8.
During the meeting, the ICC once again made it clear that the PCB must convince its government to allow the India-Pakistan match to go ahead. If it fails, the board could face significant problems and penalties. After the meeting, Naqvi said he would first speak to the prime minister before making any final announcement.
Boycott could cause major problems for PCB and ICC
This is a very sensitive issue because if Pakistan boycotts the India match, it will be in breach of the ICC’s membership agreement. Pakistan signed the agreement before the tournament, committing to participate in all scheduled matches.
The PCB is now trying to use force majeure clauses in agreements. The provision allows teams to skip games if the reasons are beyond the team’s control. But the ICC has written to Pakistan explaining that the rule comes with strict conditions and it will not be easy for them to successfully use it.
Also read: Ricky Ponting and Ravi Shastri team up to brutally bury Babar Azam’s T20I career
If Pakistan insists on not participating in the 2026 T20 World Cup against India, it will cause huge problems. ICC and membership committees will face huge financial losses. The India vs Pakistan match is the most important match on the ICC calendar as it is watched by millions of fans and generates huge revenue. Boycotting this match would be a huge shock to fans and stakeholders.
The ICC has reportedly made it clear to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) that it cannot provide any additional compensation for missing the ongoing 2026 T20 World Cup. However, the ICC has promised Bangladesh that it will receive its full share of revenue as a member.
It was earlier reported that the BCB had requested additional funds as well as hosting rights for future ICC events. But the ICC rejected the additional compensation and made it clear that Bangladesh’s regular revenue from ICC events will be paid in full, but they will not receive any prize money or additional benefits.
