T20 World Cup row: BCB chief in Lahore as ICC, PCB hold talks over India game boycott

In a significant development in the world of cricket, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Aminul Islam Bulbul reached Lahore in Pakistan on Sunday (February 8) to participate in the emergency meeting between the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

His visit, which reportedly was on an invitation from the PCB, comes amid ongoing tensions between cricket's international governing body and the Pakistani board over the latter's decision against playing India in the T20 World Cup, which began a day before. India and Sri Lanka are co-hosting the tournament.

Also read: T20 World Cup 2026: Full schedule, groups, venues, format after Bangladesh exit

Islam, a former international cricketer, was also expected to meet senior officials of the PCB during his stay in Pakistan, news sources from the country said.

Talks between Islam and the PCB officials are also likely to focus on the current situation related to the T20 World Cup, besides broader cricketing issues.

Bangladesh refused to play in India, pulled out

The controversy began after Bangladesh refused to travel to India for their games, citing security concerns amid plummeting political ties between the two neighbours. After the ICC refused to accommodate the BCB's request to shift its team's matches from India to Sri Lanka, Bangladesh pulled out of the contest, with Scotland replacing them.

Imran Khwaja, deputy chair of the ICC and an influential member in the body, also left for Lahore to meet PCB officials as efforts to resolve the standoff over Pakistan's proposed boycott of the high-stakes February 15 clash against India in Colombo, Sri Lanka, news agency PTI reported.

Also read: Will Pakistan play India in T20 WC? There could be a U-turn

"He has been in talks with Mohsin Naqvi for a while now, and he is reaching Lahore today to first talk to the PCB chief and also the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President, Aminul Islam, before the virtual meeting this evening," PTI reported. Naqvi is the chairman of the PCB and also Pakistan's interior minister.

PCB in solidarity with BCB

Pakistan decided to boycott their match against India in solidarity with Bangladesh, something which Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed during a cabinet meeting of his government recently.

According to a report by ESPNcricinfo, the Pakistani board emailed the ICC, saying orders from the country's government were the reason for withdrawing from the Colombo fixture.

The ICC had sought to know from the Pakistani board the reasoning behind invoking the Force Majeure clause in their decision to boycott the game.

What is Force Majeure?

Force Majeure is a legal principle that relieves a party from fulfilling its obligations when confronted with an unpredictable event that is beyond its control — typically a significant natural disaster or conflict. However, regarding the participation agreement for ICC events, it also classifies a government mandate as a Force Majeure.

Also read: T20 World Cup: How India-Pakistan boycott exposes cricket’s fragility

The cricket news website also said in another report that the ICC and the PCB were engaged in back-channel talks as the global body seeks to find a way to ensure that the match happens as per the schedule.

The ICC also warned that the PCB could face sanctions if it fails to offer a credible justification for skipping only the India match while continuing in the rest of the tournament.

Why India-Pakistan match important?

While India have dominated Pakistan on the 22 yards for a while now and the rivalry has become more lop-sided, India-Pakistan clashes continue to have a huge financial significance at multiple levels. Regarded as cricket’s most commercially significant event, industry valuations estimate broadcast and advertising revenues of USD 25–40 million per T20 match, with ancillary earnings from sponsorships, hospitality and ticketing adding substantially to the total.

Also read: India to reach Colombo for Pakistan WC clash, says Surya: 'Our flight is booked'

Both India and Pakistan won their inaugural games in the tournament on Saturday, though in less exciting manners. While Pakistan survived a scare to beat the Netherlands by three wickets in the opening game of the tournament in Colombo, India saw a late resurgence to tame the United States by 29 runs in Mumbai.