ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has officially written to the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding its refusal to play against India in the February 15 league match of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup, according to reports by Indian website Cricbuzz.
Indian media reports stated that Pakistan has communicated the specific reasons behind this decision to the ICC. Earlier, the Government of Pakistan had cleared the national team to participate in the tournament but explicitly prohibited them from facing India during the league stage.
Sources told Cricbuzz that the ICC has asked the PCB for clarifications under the Force Majeure clause in the Terms of Participation, seeking details on the steps Pakistan had taken to mitigate the claim.
The government in Islamabad has authorized the national side to play other matches but maintained its restriction on the marquee clash with India on February 15.
This situation follows Bangladesh’s decision to withdraw from playing in India, citing security concerns. As a result, Bangladesh was removed from Group C by the ICC and replaced by Scotland. Pakistan had supported Bangladesh’s request to relocate their matches to Sri Lanka.
“It’s sad Bangladesh is not here. They have a very good side. Hopefully, they will support us,” said Agha, referring to Pakistan’s hopes of regional solidarity.
Pakistan and India have not played bilateral cricket for over a decade, meeting only in multinational tournaments. In the group stage, Pakistan will now face Namibia, the Netherlands, and the United States.
