Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi is set to meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to discuss the government’s decision directing Pakistan to skip the high-profile T20 World Cup 2026 match against India scheduled for February 15 in Colombo. The meeting comes amid increasing diplomatic and cricketing pressure from several international boards urging Pakistan to reconsider its stance.
Sources indicated that Naqvi will brief the Prime Minister on his recent discussions with the International Cricket Council (ICC) as well as cricket boards from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the United Arab Emirates, all of whom have encouraged Pakistan to participate in the match to avoid disruption to the tournament schedule. A two-member ICC delegation also recently met Naqvi in Lahore, with Bangladesh Cricket Board president Aminul Islam attending the discussions.
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Reports suggest that the PCB had placed three conditions before the ICC if it were to reconsider the boycott, including the restoration of bilateral cricketing ties with India, a greater share of ICC revenue distribution, and enforcement of a mandatory handshake policy in international matches. However, the ICC is understood to have rejected these proposals, maintaining that tournament participation conditions cannot be renegotiated mid-event.
Meanwhile, both the PCB and the Bangladesh Cricket Board are also believed to have floated the idea of a future tri-series involving India as part of broader cricketing engagement discussions.
