Pakistan will end its T20 World Cup match boycott against India because Bangladesh requested Pakistan to do so according to Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi who confirmed that the ongoing matter will reach a conclusion within the next day.
Naqvi confirmed on Monday that the PCB had been negotiating with the ICC about specific matters which required responses from both the ICC and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). The game against India is scheduled to be held in Colombo on February 15
Media reports here said Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif also received a call from Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake who too urged him to withdraw the boycott call. Geo News reported that Sharif responded to the request by assuring that Pakistan would play against India. Naqvi said that the final decision process would take one more day before reaching its conclusion.
“We have had discussions with them. It would not be right for me to make any comments right now. Once we get their response, we will decide. We will go back to the PM for advice once the ICC replies,” Naqvi said. “An announcement will come tomorrow or day after tomorrow,” he said.
“We show respect to our visitors. The ICC came to our house so we respected them. At this point of time we cannot say much as negotiations between the ICC and Bangladesh are ongoing. Bangladesh’s stance was valid so we had to back them he added.
Bangladesh have been ousted from the tournament for refusing to play in India citing security concerns. BCB chief Islam issued a statement in Dhaka expressing his gratitude towards Pakistan for backing his country but requested that the team show up for the high-profile game for the greater good of the sport.
Muhammad Islam declared through a statement that Pakistan demonstrated exceptional support for Bangladesh during this time which deeply moved us.
The ICC needs to organize the India-Pakistan match on 15 February because it will benefit the entire cricket ecosystem according to my request after my visit to Pakistan yesterday and our upcoming discussions,” he said.
The ICC issued a statement in Dubai which announced that Bangladesh would not face penalties for its decision to avoid playing in India. Scotland replaced the country on the tournament roster. “The world body announced through a press release that the Bangladesh Cricket Board will face no financial or sporting or administrative penalties because of the current situation.
“The BCB retains the right to approach the Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC) according to ICC regulations which remain in effect at this time. “The BCB retains the right to approach the Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC) according to ICC regulations which remain in effect at this time. The ICC granted Bangladesh hosting rights for a global event that will occur between 2028 and 2031. Naqvi rejected suggestions that the PCB experienced pressure from ICC because of its warning about possible penalties.
“These threats do not frighten us because we know they will not affect our work. The whole world recognizes Field Marshall Asim Munir as our leader. We are not worried about any sanctions,” he said.
Naqvi presented his demands during a meeting with ICC deputy chair Imran Khawaja which included resuming Indo-Pak bilateral cricket and establishing a tri-series with Bangladesh to compensate for BCB’s losses after their unexpected elimination from the global tournament.