Last Updated on 2 months ago by Charbel Coorey
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Aminul Islam is in Lahore where he will meet PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi and ICC director Imran Khwaja as negotiations to reverse Pakistan’s boycott of the India match continue.
According to ESPNcricinfo, the PCB desire some form of compensation for Bangladesh after they were replaced by Scotland in the ongoing T20 World Cup. Bangladesh requested their matches be moved to Sri Lanka citing security concerns, but the ICC made the decision that it would be a logistical nightmare so close to the tournament.
Pakistan were the only board to vote in favour of Bangladesh at the emergency meeting in late January. Naqvi soon accused the ICC of double standards before the Pakistan government announced the boycott of the India match on X (formerly Twitter).
T20 World Cup: India-Pakistan match likely to go ahead on February 15 – report
The news comes as Times of India report that the PCB and ICC are closing in on an agreement.
“Imran Khawaja and Mubashir Usmani, two ICC representatives, reached Lahore on Sunday morning,” the report read. “In all likelihood, the marquee clash is all set to get a green signal.”
The ICC has questioned the PCB as to the reason they have invoked Force Majeure to boycott the India match. According to another ESPNcricinfo report, the PCB wrote to the ICC stating it is a government decision beyond their control. In response, the ICC reportedly asked the PCB as to how they have attempted to mitigate the Force Majeure event, as per the Members Participation Agreement (MPA).
As the ICC also stated the potential ramifications the PCB face should they boycott, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) have been vocal in their desire for the match to go ahead. SLC wrote a letter to the PCB outlining the financial damages Sri Lanka faces if the boycott takes place.
“It is pertinent to note that ticket sales for the matches scheduled to be hosted in Sri Lanka, particularly the India versus Pakistan fixture, have already been finalised and have recorded exceptionally strong demand, with tickets sold fast, reflecting unprecented public interest and significant commercial expectations for Sri Lanka Cricket,” read the letter, as published by Times of India.
The India-Pakistan match is scheduled for Sunday 15 February at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
