The Pakistani government had allowed its national team to participate in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, but instructed them not to play against India.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) released a statement warning Pakistan of the long-term and significant implications of boycotting the match.
As per reports, their representatives even held a meeting in Lahore with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) officials, since the controversy stems from Bangladesh’s removal from the tournament, wherein the former put forward certain demands that the ICC has reportedly rejected.
Pakistan’s Demand For Bangladesh Rejected By ICC
As per NDTV, Pakistan had demanded increased revenue share, T20 World Cup 2026 participation fee, as well as future ICC event hosting rights for Bangladesh.
Another report had alleged that Pakistan asked for resumption of IND vs PAK bilaterals and handshakes.
While nothing has been said officially on the matter just yet, according to The Dawn, ICC has said that it has nothing to offer to Bangladesh.
“ICC has nothing to offer to Bangladesh as compensation but to ensure it would get a full share from the ICC earnings,“
The India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup 2026 fixture is planned for February 15, 2026, which is only a few days away. Therefore, fans will likely not have too wait long to find out how this entire situation pans out.
Can ICC Resume IND vs PAK Bilateral Series?
Bilateral series in cricket are planned through ICC’s Future Tours Programme (FTP), which is a is a long-term, organised calendar intended to guarantee regular fixtures between all full-member nations.
That said, while the global body oversees the framework, individual boards negotiate the specifics, factoring in commercial interests, broadcast commitments and player workloads.
It must be noted that the halting of India-Pakistan bilaterals involves political decision-making, so it is unlikely that the ICC would be able to fulfil such a demand on its own without consulting with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) first.
