T20 World Cup: Bangladesh request Pakistan play fixture against India

Bangladesh have requested that Pakistan end their planned boycott of their T20 World Cup match against India, opening the door for the fixture to be played on 15 February as scheduled.

The match, the biggest and most lucrative in cricket, has been in doubt since the Pakistan government advised its team not to take the field against their long-time rivals.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that initial decision was made to “support” Bangladesh, who had a request for their matches to be moved out of India rejected and subsequently pulled out of the tournament.

But, after talks between officials at the Pakistan Cricket Board, the International Cricket Council and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) in Lahore on Sunday, BCB president Ameenul Islam requested the match go ahead “for the benefit of the entire cricket ecosystem”.

“We are deeply moved by Pakistan’s efforts to go above and beyond in supporting Bangladesh during this period. Long may our brotherhood flourish,” he added.

The match is scheduled to take place in the city of Colombo in Sri Lanka, the co-hosts for the tournament with India.

Pakistan will forfeit the points from the group-stage match should it not be played but the team’s absence from the tournament would also have longer-term consequences for cricket.

It could lead to disputes over the ICC’s current rights deals and continued uncertainty would likely impact future agreements, with the current TV deals set to run out after the 2027 World Cup.

Many of the smaller cricketing nations rely on the money distributed by the ICC, so any cut in revenue would likely hit such countries hardest.

“Following my short visit to Pakistan yesterday and given the forthcoming outcomes of our discussions, I request Pakistan to play the ICC T20 World Cup game on 15 February against India for the benefit of the entire cricket ecosystem,” Islam said.

While stopping short of confirming the match will go ahead, the ICC released a statement on Monday evening confirming Bangladesh will not be sanctioned for their boycott.

It also said Bangladesh will host an ICC event between 2028 and the start of the 2031 World Cup.

“The ICC, PCB and BCB, along with other members, remain committed to continued dialogue, cooperation and constructive engagement in the best interests of the sport,” a statement said.

“All stakeholders acknowledge that the spirit of this understanding is to protect the integrity of the game and preserve unity within the cricket fraternity.”

There were no details on what event Bangladesh would host. All men’s events have been confirmed up until 2031, with Bangladesh already scheduled to co-host the 2031 World Cup with India.

The hosts of women’s tournaments have been chosen up to 2027, while the ICC also holds Under-19 World Cups.

The PCB has been contacted for comment.