Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is set to make the final decision on whether Pakistan will participate in their highly anticipated T20 World Cup match against India, sources said on Monday.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi is expected to meet the Prime Minister today to brief him on discussions with the International Cricket Council (ICC) delegation.
Pakistan had earlier decided to boycott the clash in solidarity with Bangladesh, which was removed from the tournament due to security concerns and its decision not to send its team to New Delhi.
The PCB, ICC, and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) held over five hours of talks on Sunday, with Naqvi, BCB President Aminul Islam, and ICC Deputy Chairman Imran Khwaja in attendance.
Sources said the ICC responded positively to Bangladesh’s demands, and a formula to address the BCB’s grievances has been drafted. The PCB acted as the main coordinator during the discussions.
Following the talks, ICC Deputy Chairman Khwaja returned to the organization’s headquarters for final approval of the proposals, while BCB President Islam returned to Dhaka to brief officials. Once approved, ICC and BCB officials are expected to reconnect later today to finalize the next steps.
Tensions between Bangladesh and India escalated after Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman was dropped from the Indian Premier League (IPL) under the direction of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), prompting outrage in Dhaka.
Bangladesh subsequently requested the ICC to move its matches outside India, but the request was denied. The ICC replaced Bangladesh with Scotland for the tournament, citing the proximity of the February 7 start date as a scheduling constraint.
In reaction, the PCB announced its decision to boycott the India match, citing bias against Bangladesh.
The India-Pakistan fixture is among cricket’s most lucrative matches, with total commercial value estimated at around $500 million (approximately INR45,000 crore), including broadcast rights, advertising, sponsorships, ticket sales, and downstream commercial activity.
Advertising slots during the match command between INR25 lakh and INR40 lakh for a 10-second spot, even higher than other high-profile fixtures. The immediate financial impact is expected to be significant for the official broadcast rights holder, with advertising revenue from the India-Pakistan clash alone projected at around INR300 crore.
The cricketing world now awaits Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s decision, which could determine whether one of the sport’s biggest fixtures goes ahead.
