4 hours ago
4
DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY,
Pakistan’s government orders cricket team to take the field against India on Sunday in Colombo.
Published On 9 Feb 2026
Pakistan’s cricket team will play its T20 World Cup match against India on February 15 upon the orders of its government, reversing its earlier decision to boycott the game against its old rival citing geopolitical tensions.
“The government of Pakistan hereby directs the Pakistan team to take the field on February 15, 2026, for its scheduled fixture in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup,” the government said in a statement on Monday.
Recommended Stories
list of 4 items- list 1 of 4India now sets the terms of global cricket
- list 2 of 4Mumbai or Kathmandu? Nepal fans light up T20 World Cup despite painful loss
- list 3 of 4A long time coming: Italy to make World Cup cricket debut on February 9
- list 4 of 4As T20 World Cup begins, ousted Bangladesh rues politicisation of cricket
The announcement came shortly after Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi met with the country’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and relayed the outcomes of his meeting with the representatives of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB ).
Top officials of the ICC held reconciliatory talks with BCB Chairman Aminul Islam and Naqvi on Sunday with the aim to convince Pakistan to call off its boycott of the marquee clash.
Pakistan’s government said it had “reviewed formal requests extended by the BCB, as well as the supporting communications from Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates, and other member nations” which sought “a viable solution to recent challenges.”
Additionally, Pakistan’s PM Sharif received a phone call from Sri Lanka’s President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who urged Pakistan to reverse its decision.
Pakistan are scheduled to play all their World Cup games in Sri Lanka, which is co-hosting the tournament with India.
The cancellation of the high-profile game would have dealt a financial blow to the island nation, which relies heavily on its tourism industry.
Hours prior to Pakistan’s reversal of its decision, the ICC issued a statement regretting Bangladesh’s “unfortunate absence” from the tournament after the global cricket body kicked out the nation over its refusal to travel to India.
The ICC replaced Bangladesh with Scotland last month after the South Asian nation said it wouldn’t play its World Cup games in India due to safety and security concerns for its players and staff.
It was an unprecedented decision and one that had a knock-on effect on the tournament as Pakistan, in a show of solidarity with Bangladesh, said it wouldn’t play against India.
Pakistan’s boycott was the first of its kind in the history of India-Pakistan games in any ICC event and shocked the world of cricket.
Backdoor negotiations, calls and meetings followed, culminating with the ICC officials’ arrival in Pakistan last weekend.
