Colombo: The Pakistan cricket team will play its highly anticipated ICC Men’s T20 World Cup match against India on February 15, reversing an earlier decision to boycott the game.
“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,” a government statement said.
The decision came after Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and shared the outcomes of discussions with the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). Pakistan’s earlier boycott was in solidarity with Bangladesh, which withdrew from the tournament after the ICC refused to move its matches out of India.
Top ICC officials held reconciliation talks with BCB Chairman Aminul Islam Bulbul and Naqvi on Sunday to resolve the standoff. Pakistan’s government said it had reviewed formal requests from Bangladesh, as well as supportive communications from Sri Lanka, the UAE, and other member nations, urging a solution. President of Sri Lanka, Anura Kumara Dissanayake also personally called PM Sharif to encourage the reversal.
Pakistan will play all their scheduled #T20WorldCup 2026 matches after “successful talks” between the ICC and PCB.
Details ⬇️https://t.co/NfIIqztYww
— ICC (@ICC) February 9, 2026
Pakistan is set to play all its World Cup games in Sri Lanka, co-hosting the tournament with India. A cancellation of the India-Pakistan clash would have had significant financial implications for Sri Lanka, which depends heavily on cricket-driven tourism.
The ICC replaced Bangladesh with Scotland after Bangladesh refused to play in India, citing safety concerns. Pakistan’s boycott, unprecedented in ICC history, sparked global shock. Backchannel negotiations, calls, and meetings culminated in the agreement to go ahead with the fixture as scheduled.
“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,” the ICC said in a statement.
