Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
The chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Mohsin Naqvi, on Tuesday said Pakistan had “no personal interest” in boycotting their T20 World Cup clash against India, insisting that the move was solely aimed at securing “respect” for Bangladesh following their ouster from the tournament.
During Sunday’s meeting with the International Cricket Council (ICC), the PCB put forward several demands while reiterating its stance on boycotting the February 15 fixture against India. However, the ICC rejected three of those proposals, including calls for the resumption of bilateral cricket between India and Pakistan and a tri-series featuring Bangladesh, Pakistan and India.
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Bangladesh were earlier removed from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup after refusing to travel to India, citing security concerns. In response, the Pakistan government announced that its team would not take the field for the February 15 group-stage match in Colombo.
The standoff, however, was resolved late on Monday night following discussions involving the PCB, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the International Cricket Council (ICC), with Islamabad withdrawing its boycott directive.
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“We did not discuss anything apart from Bangladesh. Our only purpose was to get Bangladesh respect and to highlight the injustice done to them,” Naqvi said.
“Whatever demands Bangladesh made were accepted. We had no personal interest in the meeting. Our task was purely related to Bangladesh. The government made the decision on that basis,” he added.
Naqvi further stated that once Bangladesh’s concerns were addressed and “it was acknowledged that injustice was done to them”, Pakistan agreed to play the match as scheduled.
“Following the ICC press release, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed the Pakistani cricket team to play the match against India on February 15,” PCB spokesperson Amir Mir said in a statement shared on social media.
The directive from Shehbaz Sharif formally ended Pakistan’s threat to boycott the high-profile group-stage fixture.
LAHORE MEETING PIVOTAL
The breakthrough followed a meeting in Lahore on Sunday between Naqvi, BCB president Aminul Islam and ICC deputy chair Imran Khwaja, aimed at defusing tensions over the proposed boycott.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Pakistan government confirmed its revised position.
“In view of the outcomes achieved in multilateral discussions, as well as the request of friendly countries, the Government of Pakistan hereby directs the Pakistan National Cricket Team to take the field on February 15, 2026, for its scheduled fixture in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup,” the statement read.
It added that the decision was taken “to protect the spirit of cricket and to support the continuity of this global sport in all participating nations”.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was also reported to have received a call from Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who urged Pakistan to allow the match to go ahead.
ICC TAKES LENIENT VIEW ON BANGLADESH
Despite the marathon tripartite meeting, Pakistan appear to have secured no major concessions beyond assurances regarding Bangladesh’s position.
The ICC confirmed it would not impose any financial, sporting or administrative sanctions on the BCB in relation to the episode. Bangladesh had been replaced in the marquee tournament by Scotland after declining to play in India.
“It is acknowledged that BCB retains the right to approach the Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC), should it choose to do so. This right exists under current ICC regulations and remains intact,” the ICC said.
“The ICC’s approach is guided by its principles of neutrality and fairness and reflects the shared objective of facilitative support rather than punishment.”
The BCB, in turn, formally appealed to Pakistan to honour the February 15 fixture.
“Following my short visit to Pakistan yesterday and given the forthcoming outcomes of our discussions, I request Pakistan to play the ICC T20 World Cup game on 15 February against India for the benefit of the entire cricket ecosystem,” BCB president Aminul Islam said.
FUTURE HOSTING ASSURANCE
As part of an understanding between the ICC and the BCB, it was agreed that Bangladesh will host an ICC event prior to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2031, which is set to be co-hosted by India and Bangladesh. The arrangement, the ICC clarified, remains subject to standard hosting processes, timelines and operational requirements.
The episode briefly cast uncertainty over one of the tournament’s most high-profile fixtures, but with the boycott withdrawn, Pakistan are now set to face India in Colombo as scheduled.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
