Regarding the government’s decision to boycott the T20 World Cup match against India, the Pakistan Cricket Board remained silent on Monday. However, a reliable source acknowledged that the board is forced to comply with directives from higher-ups.
Amid the commotion, the Pakistan squad left for Colombo to play its next games in the T20 World Cup, starting on February 7. The Pakistan cricketers are likely to arrive the Sri Lankan capital later on Monday evening.
If another match against India is scheduled for the T20 World Cup semifinals or final, the Board will adhere to government directives, according to a senior PCB source.
“The board has also been notified by the government that the national team will not play against India on 15th February and forfeit points in the World Cup. As for the scenario where Pakistan might be required to play against India in the knockout stages, the board will follow any decision taken by the government at that time as well,” PTI quoted the source as saying.
In the event that the boycott decision for the match against India is not reversed, Pakistan’s campaign will begin on February 7 against the Netherlands, followed by games against the United States on February 10 and Namibia on February 18.
Pakistan’s unexpected decision to skip the match on February 15 is being seen as a show of sympathy for Bangladesh, who were replaced by Scotland after declining to play in India due to security concerns.
A source close to the PCB informed PTI that the Board would express its government’s decision to the International Cricket Council, adding that PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi made it clear to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during his briefing last month that the Board would support the government no matter what the ICC said or did.
“As far as the PCB is concerned for a while now there has been a growing feeling that the ICC has not been just in its dealings with some of the other boards more recently with Bangladesh and one board cannot be allowed to run world cricket,” PTI quoted the source as saying.
In a statement released on Sunday, ICC said it “expects the PCB to explore a mutually acceptable resolution, which protects the interests of all stakeholders”.
The ICC statement further implied that if the decision is not altered, Pakistan’s earnings from the T20 World Cup would suffer significantly.
The Pakistan cricket community was taken aback by the government’s declaration on Sunday. Despite the fact that many former players disapproved of the choice, they chose to remain silent because of the delicate nature of the matter.
