The Pakistan Boycott
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is currently engaged in crucial discussions with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in an effort to prevent a significant
boycott of the highly anticipated India-Pakistan T20 World Cup fixture, originally scheduled for February 15th in Colombo. Pakistan has recently declared its refusal to participate in its Group A match against India, a decision that arose after Bangladesh's disqualification from the tournament. According to reports from The Telegraph Online, the PCB has presented a set of conditions to the ICC during ongoing behind-the-scenes negotiations as a prerequisite for the India-Pakistan contest to take place as planned. While the situation remains at an impasse, there is reported optimism that a positive resolution might be achieved in the coming days, signaling a potential shift in the deadlock that has gripped the cricketing world.
PCB's Demands Unveiled
Beyond seeking a financial uplift, Pakistan is actively lobbying the ICC to intervene and mediate with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to re-establish bilateral cricketing relations. This is a challenging proposition, as the cessation of full bilateral series is a government-level decision in Pakistan, with the BCCI having no authority over such matters. Telecom Asia Sport quoted a source indicating that this aspect is a significant point of negotiation for the PCB. The backdrop to this situation involves Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's recent confirmation of the decision to show solidarity with Bangladesh, following their refusal to travel to India for the World Cup due to purported security concerns, despite assurances from the ICC. Bangladesh was subsequently replaced by Scotland in the tournament. The PCB had publicly backed Bangladesh's stance, with Prime Minister Sharif stating, 'We have taken a very clear stand on the T20 World Cup that we won’t play the match against India because there should be no politics on the sports field.' He further elaborated that it was a 'very considered stance' and an 'appropriate decision' to stand with Bangladesh.
Bangladesh's Relocation Plea
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had initially requested the ICC to move their World Cup matches from India to Sri Lanka, citing concerns over player security within the country. This request followed an incident where the IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders released their Bangladeshi fast bowler, Mustafizur Rahman, from their squad ahead of the upcoming season, reportedly at the BCCI's directive. The BCB formally communicated its desire for a relocation of their Group C matches to the ICC. However, this plea was ultimately unsuccessful, as a board meeting resulted in an overwhelming vote (14-2) in favor of maintaining the matches in India. Despite this outcome, the BCB remained firm in its position, leading to the ICC's invitation to Scotland as a replacement.
