LAHORE, FEB 9: As efforts intensify to break the deadlock, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is set to consult the government for clear guidance on a proposed boycott of a T20 World Cup fixture against India, with officials expecting a breakthrough within 24 hours, sources said on Monday.
This key development came as negotiations between the PCB, the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) concluded after more than five hours.
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi met ICC Deputy Chairman Imran Khwaja at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium to discuss Pakistan’s decision to skip its T20 World Cup 2026 match against India. BCB President Aminul Islam was also present.
Sources said the ICC responded positively to Bangladesh’s demands, and a formula to address grievances with the BCB has been prepared. Both ICC and BCB exchanged proposals, while the PCB acted as the main coordinator during the discussions.
After the marathon meeting, Khwaja returned to the ICC headquarters for final approval of the proposals, while Islam headed back to Bangladesh to brief his government, sources said.
“Once the formula is agreed upon, ICC and BCB officials will reconnect tomorrow afternoon to finalise the next steps,” they added.
Meanwhile, the PCB chairman is expected to meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif within two days to seek government guidance on Pakistan’s stance regarding the India match.
The prime minister will make the final decision on the game, sources said.
Earlier, Khwaja reached Lahore for talks with the PCB chief, after Pakistan announced it would boycott its match against India, scheduled for February 15.
Before that, the BCB president arrived in the country and later held a separate meeting with Naqvi.
The BCB president thanked Pakistan for backing Bangladesh in its dispute with the ICC regarding the tournament.
During the meeting, Naqvi and Islam also exchanged views on the ongoing crisis.
Sources had said that the BCB chief would attend the ICC’s emergency meeting, with other board members also expected to participate.
The development comes against the backdrop of Pakistan’s decision to boycott its World Cup match against India, scheduled for February 15, amid what the PCB has described as the ICC’s biased approach, with Bangladesh playing a central role in the dispute.
Tensions flared between the cricket boards of Bangladesh and India after Bangladesh’s star pacer Mustafizur Rahman was dropped from the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the direction of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), sparking outrage in Dhaka.
Later, the BCB requested the ICC to shift its matches outside India, but the international cricket body rejected the plea. Following the BCB’s firm stance, the ICC replaced Bangladesh with Scotland in the tournament, saying it was not feasible to change the schedule so close to the February 7 start of the event.
Furthermore, the PCB has dismissed reports by Indian media claiming that it had offered dialogue to the ICC to resolve the issue surrounding its decision to boycott the India match.
PCB spokesperson Amir Mir issued the rebuttal after Indian journalist Vikrant Gupta claimed that the PCB had reached out to the ICC for dialogue on the India-Pakistan World Cup game.
Any clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan is one of the most lucrative fixtures in cricket, worth millions of dollars in broadcast, sponsorship and advertising revenue.
In commercial terms, the overall value of a single India-Pakistan T20 match is estimated at around $500 million, or approximately INR45,000 crore, when broadcast rights, advertising premiums, sponsorship activations, ticket sales and downstream commercial activity are taken into account.
According to a report, advertising slots during an India-Pakistan T20 match command between INR25 lakh and INR40 lakh for a 10-second spot, significantly higher than even knockout matches involving India against other top teams.
The most immediate financial impact would be felt by the official broadcast rights holder, as advertising revenue from the India-Pakistan match alone is estimated at around INR300 crore, the Indian publication cited industry projections as suggesting.
The BCB chief’s reported arrival in Pakistan is also being viewed in the context of earlier Indian media reports claiming that the ICC was seeking back-channel talks with the PCB and had tasked its deputy chairman, Imran Khwaja, to engage with the Pakistani board on the issue.
