Pakistan has scrapped its planned boycott of its T20 World Cup match against India, citing discussions with the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), which will allow the match to go ahead as scheduled.
The move comes after the Pakistani government initially directed their team not to play against India due to security concerns, but later reversed the decision following a meeting between PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, ICC chief executive Sanjog Gupta, and BCB president Md Aminul Islam.
Pakistan's refusal to tour India had led to Bangladesh being removed from the tournament as a replacement. However, after discussions with the ICC, Bangladesh will be reinstated as part of the 16-team tournament.
The ICC has said that it does not plan to impose any sporting or financial penalties on Bangladesh for refusing to play in India, but instead plans to host an event in Bangladesh prior to the 50-over World Cup in 2031. The tournament is expected to be co-hosted by India and Bangladesh.
Pakistan's T20 team will also lose points if they do not participate in their group stage match against India, which was initially scheduled to take place on February 15. However, with the change of heart, Pakistan will now play the match as scheduled, live on Sky Sports.
The decision has been welcomed by Bangladesh, who had expressed gratitude towards Pakistan for their efforts to support them during this period. The ICC has also stated its commitment to working closely with the BCB to ensure the sport grows sustainably in Bangladesh and strengthens future opportunities for players and fans.
The move comes after the Pakistani government initially directed their team not to play against India due to security concerns, but later reversed the decision following a meeting between PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, ICC chief executive Sanjog Gupta, and BCB president Md Aminul Islam.
Pakistan's refusal to tour India had led to Bangladesh being removed from the tournament as a replacement. However, after discussions with the ICC, Bangladesh will be reinstated as part of the 16-team tournament.
The ICC has said that it does not plan to impose any sporting or financial penalties on Bangladesh for refusing to play in India, but instead plans to host an event in Bangladesh prior to the 50-over World Cup in 2031. The tournament is expected to be co-hosted by India and Bangladesh.
Pakistan's T20 team will also lose points if they do not participate in their group stage match against India, which was initially scheduled to take place on February 15. However, with the change of heart, Pakistan will now play the match as scheduled, live on Sky Sports.
The decision has been welcomed by Bangladesh, who had expressed gratitude towards Pakistan for their efforts to support them during this period. The ICC has also stated its commitment to working closely with the BCB to ensure the sport grows sustainably in Bangladesh and strengthens future opportunities for players and fans.
about that match against india... so pakistan was gonna boycott india but then they talked to the icc and bcb and now its all good 
what a relief for bangladesh too, they got to come back into the tournament after being removed because of pakistan's decision 
i wonder how many people were worried about that match happening without pak vs ind 
it's all about the cricket fam! can't wait to see those matches go down, especially the one on march 22nd 
and btw, bangladesh getting reinstated as part of the tournament? amazing move by the icc 
let's bring some love and sportsmanship to the world 
. Makes me wonder if the ICC's gonna make a thing of hosting an event in Bangladesh soon... could be good for the country 
. Don't think India and Pakistan will become BFFs anytime soon, but it's all about the cricket at the end of the day 
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. So, it looks like there's a lot on the line here 
. I'm loving this twist of events! 
. But now that Bangladesh is back in the mix, we can expect a lot more eyeballs on this tournament 
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. Like, come on, guys, can't even take care of your own internal security issues? 
But at the same time, kudos to Bangladesh for being strong and standing firm against India (I mean, no love lost there either 
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. glad everything's sorted out now 
. i mean, who needs a game that's gonna cause more drama than cricket itself? 
let the matches begin! 
. And what's with the points system? If they don't show up, they lose points... like that's gonna make a difference in the grand scheme of things. It's all just a bunch of politics in a nice game of cricket 
. Was it just a matter of time before something like this happened? I'm not sure if it's going to ease tensions between India and Pakistan or just put more pressure on them to perform well against each other... anyway, it'll be interesting to see how this all plays out 
I mean, cricket's supposed to be a sport about friendly competition, right? And now Pakistan's decided to change its mind at the last minute, and it's gonna affect Bangladesh's tournament spot... 
And maybe this will be a great opportunity for them to build their team and prepare for the big event in 2031. Fingers crossed! 
the bcb was gonna drop out of the tournament bc pakistan didnt wanna play india but now bangladesh gets 2 come back as part of the 16 team tourney 
? And every time, it ends in a dramatic turn of events like this. The latest change of heart from Pakistan is definitely a relief for Bangladesh though - they were basically dropped from the tournament after refusing to play against India 
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. I love that they're hosting an event in Bangladesh instead, it's a great way to support the country and grow cricket there 
. It's not like it's going to make a huge difference in the end, but still, nice to see Bangladesh getting their spot back. The ICC is doing okay, seems like they're trying to keep everyone happy 
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