Minutes earlier, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president had requested the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and its chief, Mohsin Naqvi, also an influential Minister in Pakistan, to play against India. A separate ICC statement confirmed that following the meetings, the ICC will not financially penalise Bangladesh for withdrawing from the T20 World Cup and Bangladesh will host an additional ICC event prior to the Men’s World Cup 2041, “subject to the usual ICC hosting processes, timelines and operational requirements”. The fallout lasted over a fortnight before the ICC Board passed a resolution to replace Bangladesh with Scotland for the T20 World Cup. With more than a third of the ICC World Cup revenue dependent on the India versus Pakistan clash, the ICC stepped in to negotiate with the PCB. Taking it to X, Mr. Dissanayake wrote, “Delighted that the eagerly awaited India and Pakistan match at the ongoing T20 Cricket World Cup in Colombo will proceed as planned.

Source: The Hindu February 09, 2026 21:03 UTC