Sanchita Chatterjee, BS News Agency: What was expected has finally happened. On Monday night, Pakistan abandoned its decision to boycott the ICC T20 match against India and agreed to play the match in Colombo on February 15th. It is understood that the Pakistani cricket team abandoned the boycott idea after receiving instructions from the Pakistani government. Earlier, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had announced the decision to boycott the match against India at the behest of the Pakistani government, which had also approved the decision. Now, the Pakistani government itself has announced the change of decision.
This brings an end to the discussions that had been going on between the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the ICC for the past week to resolve the boycott issue. During the discussions, Pakistan had placed three conditions before the ICC for changing its boycott decision. In response, the ICC issued a statement saying that it would not take any punitive action, including fines, against Bangladesh for not playing in the T20 World Cup. At the same time, it promised the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) that they would be given the responsibility of hosting ICC tournaments between 2028 and 2031. This announcement paved the way for the ICC T20 World Cup match between India and Pakistan in Colombo on February 15th. Just before the announcement of the withdrawal of the boycott decision, the Bangladesh Cricket Board had requested Pakistan not to give a walkover in the match against India. During the PSL auction in Lahore, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi also hinted at a change in the boycott decision. Former PCB chief Najam Sethi said during the PSL auction that good news awaited Pakistan cricket, and that it would be announced by PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi. That announcement finally came from the Pakistani government. In a statement, it was announced that, following fruitful discussions and at the request of friendly countries, the Pakistani government is allowing the Pakistan cricket team to take the field against India on February 15th. This decision has been taken to uphold the spirit of cricket and maintain its continuity among all countries. Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has extended his best wishes to the Pakistani team for the T20 World Cup match. The government and the Pakistan Board believe that their cricketers will fight on the field with sportsmanship and uphold the honor of the country. The ICC has also issued a statement saying that their meeting with the PCB concluded positively. Both parties reached a decision keeping in mind the importance of the game of cricket. In keeping with that decision, Pakistan will participate in all matches, including those against India, in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup.