Iceland Cricket kept its trademark online banter alive amid the India-Pakistan-Bangladesh standoff, cheekily suggesting that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) should have approached them for a tri-series instead of India — a proposal they claimed they would have happily accepted.
According to reports, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi had placed several demands before the ICC, including the resumption of India-Pakistan bilateral cricket and the organisation of a tri-series involving Bangladesh. The proposal was aimed at compensating the BCB for potential financial losses after Bangladesh’s early exit from the global event being held in India.
While the ICC clarified that India-Pakistan bilateral cricket does not fall under its jurisdiction, the request for a tri-series was also turned down. India have not participated in a tri-nation tournament for more than a decade. However, the ICC is understood to be considering Bangladesh as a possible host for the next ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup.
Amid these developments, Iceland Cricket weighed in with a tongue-in-cheek post on social media. “The PCB and BCB have demanded a tri-series with India. They should have demanded one with us, because we would have said ‘yes’ and provided a safe operating space on one of our lava fields for the matches,” Iceland Cricket tweeted on Friday evening.
The post referenced Iceland’s iconic lava fields, which cover nearly 11 percent of the country and are shaped by intense volcanic activity along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge — a setting that perfectly matched the account’s playful tone.
Meanwhile, Naqvi is set to brief Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the latest developments later on Monday, with Pakistan’s high-profile clash against India scheduled for Sunday, February 15, in Colombo.
“Naqvi will brief the Prime Minister on the communications he has had with the Bangladesh, Sri Lankan and Emirates cricket boards, as well as with the ICC, regarding the crisis,” a source told PTI.
As per the PTI report, Naqvi may seek the Prime Minister’s approval for Pakistan to go ahead and play India in the World Cup, following discussions and appeals from the cricket boards of Sri Lanka, the UAE, and Bangladesh.
