The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday, February 8, shared visuals of a meeting between chairman Mohsin Naqvi and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Aminul Islam at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Senior PCB officials were also present at the meeting, which has been described as a show of “solidarity” between the two boards.
The meeting comes amid Pakistan’s threat to boycott their high-profile T20 World Cup 2026 match against India, scheduled for February 15 in Colombo. The boycott order reportedly came from the Pakistani government through social media, while the PCB and Naqvi have so far remained silent on the matter.
The Pakistani government has stated that one of the reasons behind the decision was to show support for Bangladesh. The ICC had earlier removed Bangladesh from the World Cup roster and replaced them with Scotland after the Bangladesh Cricket Board refused to allow its team to travel to India for matches, citing security concerns. The ICC later rejected those concerns.
Meanwhile, CNN-News18 reported that ICC Deputy Chairman Imran Khawaja arrived in Lahore on Saturday evening ahead of another crucial meeting with Naqvi, as efforts to resolve the India–Pakistan standoff intensified.
According to a PCB spokesperson, the meeting with ICC officials was pre-scheduled, with formal talks between the ICC and PCB set to begin at 7 PM. Sources indicated that these discussions are part of the ICC’s back-channel efforts to convince Pakistan to play its scheduled round-robin match against India.
Aminul Islam is also expected to be present during the discussions. Officials familiar with the developments suggested that important decisions could emerge from the talks, as the ICC is keen to break the deadlock and ensure the marquee India–Pakistan clash goes ahead as planned.
According to a report in Dawn, the outcome of the meeting is unlikely to be announced until the PCB receives clearance from the Pakistani government. However, several reports suggest growing optimism that the match will be played as scheduled, helping the ICC and the global cricketing community avoid major financial losses.
