Yesterday (February 8), a meeting between the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the International Cricket Council (ICC), and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) was held in Lahore regarding the Pakistan government’s decision to boycott the India match in the T20 World Cup 2026.
ICC sent Deputy Chairman Imran Khwaja and Associate Member Director Mubashir Usmani; PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi was present, and BCB President Aminul Islam Bulbul also flew in. What did they discuss? Well, the PCB and BCB put forth several demands.
PCB demanded extra funds from ICC. Resume of bilateral cricket with India. Reversal of India’s no-handshake policy. Bangladesh wants financial compensation after the ICC removed it from the T20 World Cup and wants to host a future ICC event.
BCB & PCB’s tri-series demand to ICC
Turns out, that wasn’t all. According to Cricbuzz, the BCB also wants the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to walk back their decision to stop all bilateral cricket with Bangladesh. The BCCI had postponed their white-ball tour of Bangladesh last year, and it isn’t expected to go ahead in 2026.
Furthermore, both boards want the ICC to arrange a tri-series involving India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. India hasn’t played any bilateral cricket with Pakistan since 2012, and the last tri-series they played was the 2008 Kitply Cup, in which the third team was Bangladesh.
If these demands are met, the India vs Pakistan match at the T20 World Cup could go ahead. However, there’s an issue. The ICC doesn’t hold any decision-making power. It’s the individual boards who decide which teams they wish to play, at home or away. If BCCI doesn’t wish to play bilateral cricket with Pakistan or Bangladesh, ICC can’t make them reverse the decision.
As for Pakistan’s boycotting India in the T20 World Cup, the ICC still doesn’t accept PCB’s Force Majeure argument. The PCB had signed the Members Participation Agreement (MPA) in December 2024, which proposed India and Pakistan playing matches at neutral venues in ICC events. By pulling out now, PCB is violating the agreement.
The final decision is expected to come out soon, with Naqvi scheduled to meet Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif later today (February 9).
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