Pakistan PM to Decide on India T20 World Cup Boycott Amid ICC Talks

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi is reportedly expected to meet Sharif on Monday and brief him on the former's meeting with the International Cricket Council (ICC) delegation.

An ICC delegation, led by Deputy Chairman Imran Khawaja, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, and BCB President Aminul Islam, met in Lahore on Sunday to discuss Pakistan's decision to boycott the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 match against India, scheduled for February 15 in Colombo.

Pakistan media reported that the lengthy negotiations have concluded, with the dispute expected to be resolved through mutual consultation in the "next few hours", with a roadmap finalised between Imran Khawaja, Mohsin Naqvi, and Ameen ul Islam.

This development comes after the official X handle of the Pakistan Government announced that the Men in Green would not take the field in the Feb 15 clash, and later Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif linked this boycott to the controversy with Bangladesh, citing it as a symbol of solidarity.

Bangladesh were replaced by Scotland in the 2026 T20 World Cup, as their request to have all their matches played outside India could not be agreed upon by the ICC, which they put in place because of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) pacer Mustafizur Rahman being removed from the squad after instructions from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) amid concerns related to atrocities against minorities in Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, the ICC is understood to have asked the PCB to demonstrate what it had done to mitigate the 'Force Majeure' event, as it is needed by the Members Participation Agreement (MPA). Notably, the ICC received an email from the PCB citing government orders as the reason for its controversial boycott, which came less than 10 days before the start of the tournament, according to ESPNCricinfo.

Also, ICC is believed to have conditions in detail under which 'Force Majeure' can be invoked legitimately, and the evidentiary threshold needed for non-participation in the tournament, sporting, commercial, and governance implications of such a step.

ICC informed PCB of the potential material damage the former could incur if the match does not go ahead. The global governing body does not want any confrontation, but under their constitution, they are allowed to go ahead with suspension/termination of a membership if there is a massive breach of obligations supposed to be fulfilled.

PCB also believes that if the matter becomes contentious, they have a strong case because there is a reference to an old PCB-BCCI dispute that reached the ICC Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC) regarding a bilateral series.

It was about BCCI allegedly failing to honour a 2014 MoU between the two boards to play six bilateral series between 2013 and 2015. PCB lost their claim for damages but believes the Indian government's refusal to grant BCCI permission to proceed with the series sets a precedent for them, according to ESPNCricinfo.

- ANI