India vs Pakistan T20 WC : PCB Makes U-Turn On IND VS PAK Match, Directs Team To Play Match !

Pakistan has decided not to attend their 2026 T20 World Cup group match against India, which was scheduled for February 15 in Colombo. The Pakistani government posted on X on Monday night, stating that it was permitting the squad to play against India "in consideration of the outcomes obtained as well as the desire of friendly countries."

A number of ICC members, notably Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates, have encouraged the PCB not to boycott their match against India, citing the financial impact on other countries, according to the Pakistani government's statement. Additionally, it verified that Shehbaz Sharif, the prime minister of Pakistan, had a conversation with Kumara Dissanayake, the president of Sri Lanka.

Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Informed ICC of His U-Turn

The Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Mr. Mohsin Naqvi, has formally briefed the Honorable Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mr. Shehbaz Sharif, on the results of high-level discussions between the PCB, representatives of the International Cricket Council (ICC), and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).

"The Government of Pakistan hereby instructs the Pakistan National Cricket Team to play in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup on February 15, 2026, in response to the agreements reached in multilateral talks and the request of friendly nations. Additionally, the government statement stated that the decision was made in order to preserve the essence of cricket and to ensure that it continues to be played in all participating countries.

ICC Referred to the Negotiations as "Successful."

The ICC referred to the negotiations as "successful" in response to the statement from the Pakistani government. The conversation between the ICC and PCB was a part of a larger interaction in which both sides acknowledged the importance of positive interactions and were united, dedicated, and purposeful in their desire to serve the game's best interests in a fair, impartial, and cooperative manner.

Finally Match is Happening

In an attempt to persuade Pakistan to retract its threat to boycott their match against India, the most lucrative match in the T20 World Cup, the PCB, BCB, and ICC have been in more intense talks over the past few days. Earlier Monday, ESPNcricinfo reported that there was increasing hope that such talks could be fruitful.

No Penalities On Bangladesh On Ban

After meeting with the Pakistan Cricket Board and the ICC in Lahore, the Bangladesh Cricket Board had previously pushed Pakistan to play in Colombo.

In addition to announcing that Bangladesh would host an ICC tournament prior to the 2031 50-over World Cup, which India and Bangladesh would co-host, the ICC indicated after the conference that it would not impose any administrative, financial, or sporting sanctions on Bangladesh for their reluctance to play in India.