Islamabad, Feb 9 (.) Pakistan have agreed to play the match against India in the T20 World Cup, leading Pak media outlet Dawn claimed on Monday night, quoting state-run Pakistan TV.
However, there has been no official confirmation from the International Cricket Council or the PCB of the development so far.
The Dawn quoted a post from the broadcaster on the social media platform X, that said: “Pakistan has agreed to play the T20 World Cup match against India on February 15, following requests from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, with India accepting Pakistan’s preconditions”.
According to Dawn, the development came shortly after Sri Lanka’s President Anura Kumara Dissanayake urged Pakistan to play its T20 World Cup clash against India. He reportedly made the request during a phone call with Pak Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, according to the Pak Prime Minister’s Office.
According to the statement, PM Shehbaz said he would inform the Sri Lankan president about a “final decision” regarding the Pak-India match after consultations.
In a statement, BCB President Aminul Islam urged Pakistan to play the February 15 match against India.
Earlier in the day, the ICC, PCB and BCB concluded an “open, constructive and congenial dialogue” that covered several matters, “including but not imited to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 and the broader outlook for cricket in South Asia”.
While reflecting on the Bangladesh cricket team’s unfortunate absence from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, the ICC reaffirmed BCB’s position as a valued Full Member.
The ICC said no penalty or sanction will be imposed on BCB, and acknowledged that BCB retained the right to approach the Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC), should it choose to do so. This right exists under current ICC regulations and remains intact.
On hosting of an ICC Event between 2028 and 2031, it said as part of this understanding, an agreement has been reached that Bangladesh will host an ICC event prior to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2031, subject to the usual ICC hosting processes,timelines and operational requirements.
ICC Chief Executive Sanjog Gupta said: “Bangladesh’s absence from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is regrettable, but it does not alter the ICC’s enduring commitment to Bangladesh as a core cricketing nation. Our focus continues to be on working closely with key stakeholders including BCB to ensure the sport grows sustainably in the country and that future opportunities for its players and fans are strengthened.”
The Pakistan government had earlier given the cricket team the nod to participate in the T20 World Cup 2026, but said the Green Shirts would not play their match with arch-rivals India, scheduled to be held in Colombo.
The decision had come after Bangladesh were replaced by Scotland in the tournament, following their refusal to tour India over what Dhaka claimed were “safety concerns. India, has, however, denied the existence of any safety issues for the Bangladesh team in India.
Subsequently, Sri Lanka’s cricket board asked Pakistan to reconsider the decision to boycott the match; Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) told the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that a boycott would result in a financial hit and also hurt the island’s tourism industry, which is still recovering from the 2022 economic meltdown.
On Sunday, a delegation from the International Cricket Council (ICC) arrived in Pakistan and held meetings with PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi on the team’s participation in the match against India.
It should be mentioned that Pakistan and India have not played bilateral cricket for more than a decade, and meet only in global or regional tournaments. . XC .