The International Cricket Council (ICC) has reportedly assured the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) of certain concessions for ending its boycott of the India match, though these will only be disclosed after the conclusion of the ongoing T20 World Cup. A PCB source told PTI on Tuesday that any benefits agreed upon during discussions with the ICC would be made public once the tournament ends.
“The concessions granted to the PCB for withdrawing the boycott will be announced only after the T20 World Cup is over,” the source said.
The ICC has already confirmed that the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) will not face any sanctions for refusing to travel to India and will also be awarded an ICC event in the 2028–2031 cycle, with the Under-19 Men’s World Cup being the preferred option.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had earlier announced that the national team would boycott the February 15 group-stage match against India in Colombo, citing solidarity with Bangladesh after it was replaced in the tournament due to security concerns. However, the decision was reversed on Monday night following intense back-channel negotiations and diplomatic efforts.
According to sources, intervention from Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake played a key role in resolving the impasse. Senior government and establishment figures in Pakistan, who had been closely monitoring the situation, also briefed the Prime Minister on the broader implications of the boycott.
The PCB has now been cleared to play India not only in the group-stage fixture but also if the two teams meet again in the later stages of the tournament.
Another source said the Prime Minister, who serves as the patron-in-chief of the PCB, was informed about what Pakistan stood to gain if the government issued a formal directive allowing the team to play India. It was also agreed that details of the discussions involving the ICC, PCB, BCB, and other boards would remain confidential.
While the ICC’s statement on Monday reiterated that Bangladesh would not be sanctioned, it did not specify any concessions offered to Pakistan. There has been speculation that PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi sought an increase in Pakistan’s share of ICC revenues, though insiders indicated that any such change would require approval from the ICC board and could only be implemented in the next financial cycle.
During the discussions, Naqvi also reportedly argued that India and Pakistan could play home-and-away matches in the World Test Championship at neutral venues, as they already compete against each other in ICC white-ball tournaments. However, officials pointed out that while the WTC final is an ICC event, all other Test series are bilateral in nature, even though they contribute points toward the championship.
