Pakistan have agreed to play their T20 World Cup match against India on Sunday, reversing a government-ordered boycott that threatened to disrupt the tournament. The crisis began when Bangladesh withdrew from the event last month, with their place taken by Scotland, after the International Cricket Council rejected a request to move their matches outside India on security grounds.
In solidarity with Bangladesh, the Pakistan government, led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, had initially stated Pakistan would forfeit the game against India in Colombo. This move risked damaging the ICC's £2.2bn broadcast deal, which relies heavily on the India-Pakistan fixture.
However, following talks between the ICC, the Pakistan Cricket Board, and the Bangladesh Cricket Board in Lahore, along with representations from co-hosts Sri Lanka, the impasse was resolved. As part of the agreement, Bangladesh will face no censure for their withdrawal and have been granted hosting rights for a future ICC tournament, while Pakistan will drop their boycott of the India match.
The Pakistan government stated on Monday evening: "This decision has been taken with the aim of protecting the spirit of cricket, and to support the continuity of this global sport in all participating nations." The ICC added: "It was agreed that all members will respect their commitments as per the terms of participation for ICC events and do all that is necessary to ensure that the ongoing edition of the ICC men’s T20 World Cup is a success."
Aminul Islam, president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board, had earlier urged the India-Pakistan match to go ahead "for the benefit of the entire cricket ecosystem". He said: "We are deeply moved by Pakistan’s efforts to go above and beyond in supporting Bangladesh during this period. Long may our brotherhood flourish."
