New Delhi : The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has renewed discussions with the International Cricket Council (ICC) following a week of uncertainty over its government-mandated boycott of the T20 World Cup match against India set for February 15 in Colombo.
After initially signalling that Pakistan would refuse to play the marquee Group A clash under instructions from Islamabad, the PCB has formally reached out to the ICC in an effort to resolve the dispute through dialogue. The standoff stems from the PCB’s attempt to invoke the ‘force majeure’ clause in the ICC’s Members Participation Agreement, citing extraordinary circumstances to justify non-participation in just that fixture while continuing Pakistan’s involvement in the rest of the tournament.
The ICC, however, has questioned whether the conditions for such a legal exemption are met and has asked Pakistan to outline the steps it took to avoid the boycott and to explain the rationale in detail. It has also highlighted the potential sporting, commercial and governance consequences of selectively withdrawing from a scheduled match.
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Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, had framed the boycott as a show of solidarity with Bangladesh after its exclusion from the event, but the move risks significant financial losses and has drawn warnings from the ICC about possible damages.
As confrontation gives way to structured engagement, both cricket bodies are seeking common ground to ensure the high-profile encounter goes ahead as planned, even as negotiations continue to clarify obligations and preserve the tournament’s integrity.
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