Pakistan has reversed its decision to boycott the crucial T20 World Cup match and will now take on India as scheduled.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) decided to participate after officials from the International Cricket Council (ICC) met with PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi over the weekend.
Pakistan's decision to skip February 15 match against India was "intended to show solidarity with Bangladesh."
This move came after ICC replaced Bangladesh with Scotland after Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) refused to send its team to India amid political tensions and security concerns.
Announcing the decision, the government said in a post on X, “The government of Pakistan has reviewed the formal requests extended to the PCB by the BCB, as well as the supporting communications from Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates, and other member nations."
It added, "In view of the outcomes achieved in multilateral discussions, as well as the request of friendly countries, the Government of Pakistan hereby directs the Pakistan National Cricket Team to take the field on February 15, 2026, for its scheduled fixture in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup."
Bangladesh had earlier urged Pakistan to reconsider its planned boycott of their T20 World Cup clash against India.
"We are deeply moved by Pakistan’s efforts to go above and beyond in supporting Bangladesh during this period," BCB president Mohammad Aminul Islam said in a statement following discussions between the PCB, ICC and BCB in Lahore.
He added, "I request Pakistan to play the game on 15 February against India for the benefit of the entire cricket ecosystem."
The match is scheduled to take place in the city of Colombo in Sri Lanka, the co-hosts for the tournament with India.
