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Board Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) Apex Council Member, Javdev Shah, praised the International Cricket Council's (ICC) stance on Pakistan's participation in their fixture against India in the ongoing T20 World Cup, stating it's a huge step showing the tournament's importance and the need to keep politics out of it.
He expressed happiness with the ICC's position, noting Pakistan had to reverse its decision. Pakistan, after an earlier announcement to boycott the much-anticipated match against India on Monday, reversed course after the Government of Pakistan directed its national cricket team to take the field on February 15 for their scheduled fixture against the Men in Blue. "This is a huge step by ICC, which showsthe World Cup is an important tournament for every country and there should be no politics in it. We are very happy with the ICC's stance. Pakistan had to change its decision," Javdev Shah told ANI. The decision came after Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, according to a statement by the Pakistan Government, briefed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the outcomes of high-level talks between the PCB, the International Cricket Council (ICC), and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). Pakistan had previously decided to boycott their group-stage World Cup match against arch-rivals India in support of Bangladesh, which was expelled from the tournament after the ICC rejected its request to shift match venues outside India due to "security concerns". Pakistan's Prime Minister also spoke with Sri Lanka's President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to discuss the country's support during "challenging times." Following discussions with the ICC and other countries, Pakistan's government has directed its cricket team to play the T20 World Cup match against India. "This evening, the Prime Minister held a telephone call with H.E. Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The President of Sri Lanka, during their warm and friendly conversation, recalled that Pakistan and Sri Lanka had always stood shoulder to shoulder, especially during challenging times. The Sri Lankan President requested the Prime Minister to accord serious consideration to resolving the current impasse amicably. In view of the outcomes achieved in multilateral discussions as well as the request of friendly countries, the Government of Pakistan hereby directs the Pakistan National Cricket Team to take the field on February 15, 2026, for its scheduled fixture in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup," an official statement from Goverment of Pakistan stated. "Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday formally briefed by the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Mohsin Naqvi, regarding the outcomes of high-level deliberations held between the PCB representatives of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB)," the statement added. After ICC held a meeting with the PCB and the BCB at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday to discuss Pakistan's decision to boycott the T20 World Cup 2026 match with India in Colombo, BCB president Aminul Islam Bulbul on Monday also urged Pakistan to play their February 15 ICC Men's T20 World Cup clash against India. Bangladesh were replaced by Scotland in the 2026 T20 World Cup, after their request to have all their matches played outside India could not be agreed upon by the ICC, which they put in place after Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) pacer Mustafizur Rahman was removed from the squad following instructions from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) amid concerns related to atrocities against minorities in Bangladesh. (ANI)
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