IND vs PAK T20 World Cup Boycott Row LIVE Updates: Sri Lanka Cricket writes to PCB, urges to reconsider decision

In a recent development, the Sri Lanka Cricket has written a letter to the Pakistan Cricket Board urging them to reconsider the decision to boycott the India game on February 15.

Pakistan Boycott India T20 Match Live: Speaking at the pre-tournament press conference, Surya said, "I feel it’s not an easy job. It’s not my job (to send a message). I’m sure they must be working out some way. But if it has come from another nation or government, (it’s about) how can they help as well. I know it’s a difficult situation. As I said, if we’re told and the fixtures are ready, we’ll definitely go ahead."

Pakistan Boycott India T20 Match Live: Former head of ICC's media and communications department, Sami Ul Hasan while speaking to Al Jazeera said, “Suspensions and sanctions are not the solution as extreme steps weaken the small cricketing fraternity. I’d like to see them resolve this so it doesn’t turn into a major crisis which can have long-term effects on cricket.”

“The force majeure clause, which is available to all nations, explicitly states that if the government of any participating nation stops its team from participating, the team cannot play,” he added

Pakistan Boycott India T20 Match Live: Speaking to India Today, former Pakistan cricket board chairman Najam Sethi accused India of bullying.

“It’s the attitude of the BCCI, that’s the problem. At every stage, they’ve been bullying people. Pakistan used to be isolated; it was one amongst ten at the time, and then everybody used to side with India. There was no point in standing out. I negotiated the final entry to the Big Three; we were the final ones, and we said no, we don’t want to be part of the Big Three,” he said

Narrating an incident during his time as PCB chief, Sethi said, “Nine members signed on, and Mr Srinivasan came to me and said, ‘Why do you want to be left alone, blah blah blah, you will be isolated,’ and the rest of it. We had decided to stand aside and be okay with it, because it was an inherently inequitable principle. They said okay, we will revise it, we will increase the shares of other members, including ours, and they agreed to play a series with us to make up for the previous losses we had incurred,”

“The contract was fine, but a year later, on the eve of the series, the BCCI, without a word, pulls out. I went to Mumbai in October of that year to sign on the dotted line and get everything sorted out, and they wouldn’t even see us at the hotel. Can you think of a bigger insult?” Sethi added

Pakistan Boycott India T20 Match Live: Speaking at the captain's press conference, Surya said, "The discussion in the team is (also) clear. First, we will play the match on 7th. Then we will go to (New) Delhi (for match against Namibia) and after that we will go to Colombo,

Pakistan Boycott India T20 Match Live: ICC has asked its deputy chair Imran Khwaja to convince Pakistan to play the league stage match against India, according to a report by Revsportz. Khwaja represents Signapore Cricket Association at the ICC and has been serving as the deputy chair of the global body since 2017. He was last appointed in the position in December 2024 when Jay Shah was appointed the ICC Chairman.

Pakistan Boycott India T20 Match Live: While Pakistan have made their intentions clear of boycotting the match against India, the Men in Blue will still have to travel to Colombo. This is because ICC rules state that a team must be present at the venue and available for toss to earn the two points.

This means when Pakistan fail to take the field, the two points for the match will be awarded to India as they will be awarded a walkover victory.

If the Men in Blue do not arrive in Colombo due to the boycott threat, ICC could rule the match as abadoned and give 1 point each to both the teams.

Speaker at the pre-tournament press conference, Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha talked about the possibility of facing off India in the semi-final or final of the tournament. He told the repoters, “If we have to play them again in the semifinal or final, we will have to go back to them and act on their advice,”

"The India game is not in our control. It's the government's and the PCB's decision and we respect that. Whatever they are going to say, we will do that," Agha added

Ind vs Pak Boycott Row: Speaking at the press conference, Suryakumar Yadav said, "We played some good cricket against them. We have been told that the game is on 15th, the game is at a neutral venue and if we get an opportunity we will play. It's a difficult call for them (Pakistani players) as well,"

Ind vs Pak Boycott Row: Speaking at the pre-tournament captains' press meet in Mumbai, Suryakumar Yadav reacted to the Pakistan boycott. The Indian captain said, “I feel their decision is not in my control. I wish I could take their decisions call but it is their call. We had played in the Asia Cup as well and we played them three times,”

"Our mindset is pretty clear. We have not said no (to playing against Pakistan). They have. ICC has given the fixture. Our flight is booked and we are going there (to Colombo)," he added

Ind vs Pak Boycott Row: Speaking to ANI, 1983 World Cup winning squad member Kirti Azad said, “Pakistan knows it can't win. So it thought to save face... India had a great opportunity when 26 people were killed in Baisaran (valley in Pahalgam). India shouldn't have played in the World Cup then... This would have sent a message internationally that we are against terrorists and that Pakistan is the biggest terrorist state,”

Ind vs Pak Boycott Row: Speaking on Bangladesh's exclusion from T20 World Cup, Former England captain Naseer Hussain told Sky Sports, "If India, a month before a tournament, said 'our government does not want us to play in a country for a World Cup', would the ICC have been so firm and said, 'You know the rules, bad luck, we're knocking you out?'"

"The only question all sides ask for is consistency. Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India must be treated the same. Yes, India fans may say, 'Cry more, we have the money!' But with power comes responsibility,"

Ind vs Pak Boycott Row: Speaking to news agency ANI, BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla said, "BCCI has nothing to say on this (on Shehbaz's statement). ICC has to decide on this, and whatever ICC says, we will go according to that decision..."

Pakistan Boycott India T20 Match Live: Speaking about Pakistan's boycott, Ashwin said PCB may have to ultimately change course.

The former India all-rounder said, “100 percent, the match between India and Pakistan will happen. I feel that it will happen. The next 3-4 days will see these decisions being overturned. And that’s my hunch, and I hope I want to see the India-Pakistan encounter. ”

“Because there are a lot of business decisions in this. Pakistan has another problem. There may also be financial loss as you will have to reimburse the broadcasters for whatever loss they have incurred. So I think they will have to come to a compromise. The financial thing involved in this will mean that other ICC member countries, too, will face a loss. In the ICC meeting, all these members will say because of Pakistan, we are getting these losses. PSL is also going to happen. Even in PSL, players can say that we will not come” he added

Pakistan Boycott India T20 Match Live: In a statement shortly after Pakistan cleared its stance on playing India, ICC wrote, “The ICC hopes that the PCB will consider the significant and long-term implications for cricket in its own country as this is likely to impact the global cricket ecosystem, which it is itself a member and beneficiary of,”

Pakistan Boycott India T20 Match Live: Former Pakistan wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal while speaking on Game Plan YouTube channel said, “PCB should not back down. The ICC has told the Pakistan Cricket Board to reconsider its stance of boycotting the India game. Was the ICC sleeping when the Asia Cup was played in a hybrid model?”

“Was the ICC sleeping when India said it would not play the Champions Trophy in Pakistan and would only play at a neutral venue? How many times has Pakistan played in India despite heightened tensions between the two countries? I have gone myself. The ICC should have thought of these things three years back,” he added

Pakistan Boycott India T20 Match Live: While an official statement by the Bangladesh cricket board is yet to be released, a new report suggests that the board isn't too happy about Pakistan't stance.

A senior BCB director while speaking to Prothom Alo said, “Pakistan wanted to send a strong message to Indian cricket. They wanted to challenge India’s dominance. From that perspective, the decision may make sense,”

“If the India–Pakistan match does not take place, the entire cricketing world will face financial losses. Even our dividend will decrease. We did not want such losses,” he added

Pakistan Boycott India T20 Match Live: While an official statement by the Bangladesh cricket board is yet to be released, a new report suggests that the board isn't too happy about Pakistan't stance.

A senior BCB director while speaking to Prothom Alo said, “Pakistan wanted to send a strong message to Indian cricket. They wanted to challenge India’s dominance. From that perspective, the decision may make sense,”

“If the India–Pakistan match does not take place, the entire cricketing world will face financial losses. Even our dividend will decrease. We did not want such losses,” he added

Pakistan Boycott India T20 Match Live: Pakistan are all set to face off against Netherlands for their first group stage match on 7 February, followed by the clash against USA on 10 February. The match against India is slated for 15 February while the last league stage clash is slated against Namibia on 18 February.

Ind vs Pak Boycott Row: Speaking on the Mr Cricket UAE podcast, Bret Lee said, "Let’s get the politics out of it,"

"I really hope the match happens. I really hope they get the opportunity, because it is going to be super exciting. The whole world watches when India and Pakistan play one another.” the former Aussie quick added

Ind vs Pak Boycott Row: Bangladesh Sports advisor Asif Nazrul reacted to the message by Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif on Facebook, writing “Thank You”.

Notably, Pakistan is pulling out of the Indian matches of the T20 World Cup as a show of solidarity with Bangladesh.