T20 World Cup: ICC awaits PCB official response on govt’s boycott of playing against India

ISLAMABAD: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has said it is awaiting an official response from Pakistan following the government’s decision to boycott playing against India during the T20 World Cup.

An ICC spokesperson confirmed that the global governing body respects the government action behind Pakistan’s position but emphasised that it is still waiting for formal communication from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on the matter.

The ICC expressed hope that the PCB would work towards a solution acceptable to all parties involved. It also reiterated that, like every other member nation, Pakistan has certain responsibilities under ICC regulations and tournament commitments.

“Pakistan, like all ICC members, has obligations, and we hope the potential negative impacts of this decision will be carefully considered,” the ICC said, adding that dialogue remains the preferred way forward.

Officials further said that the council is officially awaiting Pakistan’s decision and is monitoring the situation closely. The ICC underlined that any developments must be communicated through proper channels before further steps can be considered.

The boycott decision has added uncertainty ahead of the high-profile February 15 fixture against India, one of the most anticipated matches of the T20 World Cup. The ICC said it remains open to discussions once it receives a formal response from the PCB.

Earlier in the evening, PM Shehbaz instructed the PCB chairman to boycott only the T20 World Cup match against India.

The decision comes days after the replacement of Bangladesh with Scotland in the tournament after the Bangladesh Cricket Board declined to send its team to India. The Bangladesh team had called for relocating all their India-hosted matches to Sri Lanka, but the decision was being taken down by the ICC.