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Lahore witnessed a high-stakes drama on Sunday, February 8, when Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi met International Cricket Federation Vice-President Imran Khwaja at the Gaddafi Stadium. The meeting was aimed at resolving ongoing tensions over Pakistan’s proposed boycott of the 2026 T20 World Cup match against India in Colombo on February 15.
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During the discussion, Mohsin Naqvi raised several issues with the ICC, including the race for the Asia Cup trophy. PTI quoted a PCB official as saying, “He asked Khwaja whether the ICC would remain silent if the Pakistan team refused to accept the Asia Cup trophy during the presentation ceremony by any Indian board official.”
In September last year, after India defeated Pakistan in the 2026 Asia Cup final, Suryakumar Yadav refused to accept the championship trophy from the PCB and ACC chairman (who is also Pakistan’s home minister).
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PCB chief felt ‘humiliated’
The team received the call amid ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor. In a dramatic turn, Naqvi left the venue with the trophy, which sparked a strong reaction from the BCCI.
The BCCI demanded the immediate return of the trophy, calling Naqvi’s behavior unprofessional and warning that the matter could be escalated to the ICC. Well, even the meeting of ACC and ICC board members will not help solve the problem so far.
Now, the controversy has escalated to the 2026 T20 World Cup. The PCB took full advantage of the meeting to raise old questions. During a recent meeting with the ICC and PCB, Mohsin Naqvi said he felt “humiliated” during the Asia Cup final.
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The International Cricket Federation, along with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), is involved in negotiations to convince Pakistan to play India. Mohsin Naqvi is expected to meet Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on February 9 and may urge him to reconsider the boycott following requests from several cricket boards.
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Apart from resolving the dispute over the 2026 T20 World Cup, the PCB and BCB are also pushing for a bigger plan: the tri-nation tournament between India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. They called on the International Cricket Council to restore cricketing ties between the three countries and bring more exciting games to fans through the tri-series.
ICC remains neutral on India, Pakistan, Bangladesh relations
According to Cricbuzz, it is unclear how many PCB and BCB requests the ICC has accepted. But the global body is said to be unable to take a decision with India on any series and remains neutral on the three-series proposal. Only the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which is affiliated to the Indian government, can answer the call.
The series between India and Bangladesh is scheduled to be played in Bangladesh in September. But due to current political tensions, it’s uncertain whether this will happen. The final decision requires compromise from all parties. The International Criminal Court is working to resolve issues through dialogue and discussion. But what is certain is that the fate of the India-Pakistan conflict will be decided on February 9 or 10.
