After Bangladesh Call, Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif To Take Final Decision On Boycott: Reports

The Bangladesh Cricket Board president reportedly urged Pakistan to reconsider its decision to boycott the India match at the 2026 T20 World Cup amid growing pressure from the ICC and other boards.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Amin ul Islam has reportedly requested Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi to end the boycott of the February 15 match against India in the 2026 T20 World Cup.

According to a report by PTI, Islam made the request during discussions with Naqvi and Imran Khwaja, the vice chairman and independent director of the International Cricket Council (ICC), in Lahore on Sunday.

The report quoted a PCB source as saying that Islam “appreciated the support Pakistan has shown for Bangladesh” but also urged Naqvi to reconsider the boycott. Officials from Sri Lanka Cricket and the Emirates Cricket Board are also believed to have made similar appeals to the PCB chief.

Pakistan To Dial Down After PM Meet To Unlock Impasse

As per recent reports, the ICC-Pakistan standoff might finally reach a climax, with Pakistan potentially ready to reverse its stance on not playing against India. The meeting between the ICC, the PCB, and the Bangladesh Cricket Board in Lahore is believed to have been placed before Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is now expected to give his stamp of approval to greenlight the India versus Pakistan clash.

As things stand, the expected meeting between Sharif and PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi is likely to be followed by a formal announcement from either the ICC or the PCB by the end of Monday, February 9, as the deadline gets closer.

With only a week left for the teams to travel to Colombo for the high-stakes encounter, the final agreement between the ICC and the PCB is yet to be revealed, with some level of give-and-take involved, as Pakistan had earlier put forward three specific demands on behalf of Bangladesh as well as its own board.

It is also understood, as per a report from Cricbuzz, that the ICC has held firm on its expectation that Pakistan should not make any demands and must play as per the terms of the Members’ Participation Agreement, which it co-signed in December 2024, proposing a hybrid hosting structure to stage India and Pakistan matches at neutral venues.

Fresh Twist In BCB-ICC-PCB Issue

This development marked a fresh twist in an issue that began as a political and administrative standoff involving the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Bangladesh. The BCCI had asked IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders to remove Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from its IPL 2026 squad amid rising anti-Bangladesh sentiment in India.

In response, the BCB raised a “security issue” and refused to travel to India for its scheduled matches at the T20 World Cup. The ICC contested the claim, stating that its independent security assessment found no significant threat to Bangladesh or Rahman. However, the BCB did not accept the findings, leading to a three-week impasse.

The situation escalated when the ICC replaced Bangladesh with Scotland in the tournament. Pakistan, the only other ICC member to support Bangladesh’s request to shift its matches, described the decision as an “injustice.”

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Earlier this month, Pakistan’s government posted on social media directing its team not to take the field against India in Colombo. The government later clarified that the move was meant to express “solidarity” with Bangladesh.

While the PCB and Mohsin Naqvi have remained publicly silent, the ICC reportedly initiated back-channel talks to resolve the issue, considering the heavy financial losses if the high-profile India-Pakistan match did not take place. There is now optimism that the PCB may revise its position, though Naqvi is said to be awaiting a final decision from Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.