Islamabad-UNS: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will make the final decision on whether Pakistan will play against India or continue its boycott of the high-profile clash at the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, sources said on Monday.
According to the sources, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi is expected to meet the prime minister today to brief him on his recent discussions with an International Cricket Council (ICC) delegation.
Pakistan has decided not to play against arch-rival India in solidarity with Bangladesh, which was excluded from the tournament after citing security concerns and refusing to send its team to New Delhi.
Earlier, the PCB, ICC and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) held more than five hours of talks attended by Naqvi, BCB President Aminul Islam and ICC Deputy Chairman Imran Khwaja. During the meeting, the ICC reportedly responded positively to Bangladesh’s concerns and a formula to address its grievances was prepared. Proposals were exchanged between the ICC and BCB, while the PCB acted as the main coordinator.
Sources said ICC Deputy Chairman Khwaja has returned to the council’s headquarters for final approval of the proposals, while BCB President Islam has gone back to Dhaka to brief his board. Once the formula is approved, ICC and BCB officials are expected to reconnect to finalise the next steps.
ICC-BCB Dispute
Tensions between the Bangladesh and Indian cricket boards escalated after Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman was dropped from the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the direction of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), triggering strong reactions in Dhaka.
Subsequently, the BCB requested the ICC to shift its matches outside India, but the request was rejected. Following Bangladesh’s refusal to play in India, the ICC replaced it with Scotland, citing the proximity of the tournament’s start date of February 7.
The PCB strongly objected to the ICC’s decision and announced a boycott of its match against India, alleging bias against Bangladesh.
An India-Pakistan match is considered one of the most lucrative fixtures in world cricket, generating millions of dollars in broadcast, sponsorship and advertising revenue. In commercial terms, a single T20 match between the two rivals is estimated to be worth around $500 million when broadcast rights, advertising, sponsorships and ticket sales are taken into account.
Reports say advertising slots during an India-Pakistan T20 match command between INR25 lakh and INR40 lakh for a 10-second spot, significantly higher than other high-profile fixtures.
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