ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s stunning move not to take the field against India in their ICC World Cup T20 encounter in Colombo on February 15 has hijacked the traditional build-up to cricket’s biggest spectacle, plunging the tournament into uncertainty and pushing the International Cricket Council (ICC) into crisis-management mode. The next 36 hours, Wednesday and Thursday are being viewed as decisive, with the fate of a potential breakthrough, possibly involving Bangladesh as well, hanging in the balance.
The News has learned from credible ICC sources that an emergency video conference could be convened as early as Wednesday in a last-ditch effort to break the deadlock and salvage billions of dollars in broadcast and commercial revenue tied to the high-voltage Pakistan–India fixture. The ICC, insiders say, is acutely aware that no other match commands comparable global attention or financial stakes.With the World Cup T20 just days away, the usual chatter about team combinations, strengths, weaknesses and title prospects has been eclipsed. From Karachi to Kolkata, from London to Melbourne, the only question dominating headlines and conversations is stark: Will there be a Pakistan–India match or not? And if not, what will be the consequences for the tournament, the ICC, and the global game?
“Negotiations and a video conference remain possible on Wednesday between the major stakeholders,” an ICC source said. “But one thing is absolutely clear: the ICC is deeply concerned about Pakistan government’s decision not to play the World Cup T20 match against India. The decision has shocked world cricket. Right now, no one is talking about teams or prospects, this decision has become the central issue.”Sources within the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) indicate that Islamabad’s position is firm and principled, not transactional.
The PCB is unlikely to entertain any proposal unless it carries the approval of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), underscoring a broader stance against what Pakistan views as unequal treatment by the ICC and the host nation.
“Our stance is not about money or extracting concessions,” a PCB source told The News. A fresh round of consultations is expected on Wednesday as the ICC seeks Pakistan’s proposals to resolve the stalemate. However, officials caution that any compromise remains unlikely without parallel assurances acceptable to Bangladesh.
