Mohsin Naqvi Hints At U-Turn? PCB Reopens Dialogue With ICC On T20 World Cup: Report

With just over a week remaining ahead of Pakistan’s big-ticket clash against arch-rivals India, their cricket board has begun a renewed discussion over their boycott stance of the match with the International Cricket Council, according to a report in The Times of India.

According to the report, ICC and the Pakistan Cricket Board have already exchanged emails in the last few days.

The Pakistan Cricket Board has invoked Force Majeure, citing government instructions not to take the field against India in the group stage of the multi-nation tournament.

In its statement, the government offered no further explanation or justification for the directive.

A force majeure clause is a contractual provision that relieves a party from fulfilling its obligations

when unforeseeable, uncontrollable and extraordinary events prevent performance.

In response, the ICC has asked the Pakistan Cricket Board to explain how it attempted to break the deadlock in line with the Terms of Participation.

“Yes, the PCB has invoked the Force Majeure, but didn’t give any further explanation or details. The ICC, in response, has asked the Pakistan board to demonstrate what it had done to mitigate FM,” a source said while speaking to The Times of India.

The ICC outlined the specific conditions under which Force Majeure can be invoked in its detailed response, stressing the need to meet the required evidentiary threshold for non-participation.

The ICC flagged the sporting, commercial and governance implications arising from any non-participation as well.

With eight days to go before the marquee clash, the ICC has kept channels of dialogue open. Engagement, not confrontation, will guide its approach to this sensitive problem, with all efforts focused on finding solutions that don’t disrupt the tournament or the game of cricket.

The 2026 T20 World Cup started in Colombo and Mumbai on Saturday, February 7, but uncertainty around the India-Pakistan clash has persisted after a social media post by the Pakistan government and subsequent comments from Shehbaz Sharif.