Pakistan to Play T20 World Cup Match Against India as Scheduled

News Desk 

Islamabad: Pakistan has reportedly decided to play its scheduled T20 World Cup match against India on February 15, as Geo News confirmed on Sunday.

The decision comes amid speculation over Pakistan’s participation in the high-profile fixture, but officials said the team will take the field as per the tournament schedule.

Further details regarding the decision and any related developments are awaited, and the situation continues to evolve.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.

Sources said Sri Lankan President had earlier held a telephone conversation with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, urging Pakistan to honour the fixture being hosted in Colombo. During the call, the Sri Lankan leader recalled Pakistan’s longstanding support for Sri Lankan cricket, noting that Pakistan continued to tour Sri Lanka even during periods of security challenges.

The development follows a meeting between Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi and the ICC Deputy Chairman — who also serves as President of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) — during which the issue was discussed in detail. ICC Vice Chairman Imran Khawaja was also present.

Speaking earlier, Naqvi had said that discussions with the ICC were ongoing and that Pakistan would announce its final position once consultations were complete, adding that Pakistan “was not afraid of anyone.”

Separately, the BCB had formally appealed to Pakistan to withdraw its boycott of the India match. According to foreign media reports, BCB President Aminul Islam raised the matter during his meeting with Naqvi in Lahore, stressing that while he understood Pakistan’s concerns, reconsideration was necessary in the broader interest of global cricket.

The dispute had intensified after Bangladesh’s request to host its T20 World Cup matches was rejected by the ICC, which later excluded Bangladesh from the tournament and replaced them with Scotland. Pakistan criticised the decision, calling it unjust.

Following the ICC decision, Pakistan had announced it would participate in the World Cup but would not play its scheduled match against India on February 15. However, sustained diplomatic and cricketing efforts — including appeals from the Sri Lanka Cricket Board and the Emirates Cricket Board — sought to ensure that all tournament fixtures proceed as planned.

With the ICC’s acceptance of Pakistan’s conditions, the Pakistan-India clash is now set to go ahead as scheduled.