Mumbai: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has failed to get any major concessions from the International Cricket Council (ICC) for agreeing not to boycott the match against India in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup, scheduled to be played on February 15 in Colombo.
In its negotiations with the ICC, the PCB has sought a higher share of revenue from ICC and had also asked the sport’s governing body to ask BCCI to approach the Indian government seeking the restart of bilateral cricket ties between the two countries.
The PCB has also asked the ICC to get the Indian players to drop their “no handshake” policy with Pakistan players, which was started during the 2025 Asia Cup.
However, in its official statement on Monday, the ICC made no mention of these demands by the PCB.
“The dialogue between ICC and PCB took place as part of a broader engagement with both parties recognising the need for constructive dealings and being united, committed and purposeful in their aspirations to serve the best interests of the game with integrity, neutrality and cooperation,” the ICC said in its official statement.
The ICC statement was issued soon after the Pakistan Government released a statement in Islamabad, allowing its team to take the field for the match against India on February 15.
“In that prevailing spirit, it was agreed that all members will respect their commitments as per the terms of participation for ICC events and do all that is necessary to ensure that the ongoing edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is a success,” the ICC further said.
Regarding Bangladesh, the ICC said it will continue the facilitation of the growth of the sport in the country.
“With respect to Bangladesh, the ICC reiterated its continued facilitation of growth in one of cricket’s most vibrant markets, with more than 200 million passionate fans to ensure that the national team’s non-participation in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 does not have any long-term effects on cricket in the country,” the ICC statement said.
(IANS)
