Back Channel Negotiations Between ICC And Pakistan Over T20 World Cup 2026 Boycott Controversy? Here's What You Need To Know

Pakistan's decision to boycott the IND vs PAK match in the T20 World Cup has raised a lot of eyebrows. The Pakistan government directed their cricket team not to take part in the February 15 match against India to be held in Colombo. PCB's latest drama derived after ICC replaced Bangladesh with Scotland, following the former's refusal to travel to India, citing security concerns.

ICC To Begin Back-Channel Talks With Pakistan

There have been a lot of chatter regarding Pakistan's latest stance, but they have yet to communicate anything officially to the ICC. As per RevSportz, the ICC has begun doing back-channel negotiations with Pakistan and will try to convince them to feature in the much-anticipated clash. As per the report, Imran Khwaja, the deputy chair of the International Cricket Council, is responsible for the back-channel talks, and ICC hopes this could bear fruit, 11 days before the game.

Despite the boycott, India will reportedly travel to Sri Lanka as per their pre-decided schedule. ANI reported that the Indian team will do their pre-match routines, including the press conference and practice at the venue. The T20 World Cup 2026 is jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka, and as per the earlier agreement, the Men In Green will play all their matches on the Lankan soil.

Pakistan's Refusal Could Lead Them To Brink

Pakistan's refusal could bring in some heavy repercussions over the next few years. As per reports, ICC warned them of grave consequences and the official broadcasters of the T20 World Cup could drag them to court as they are set to lose a lot of money.

An IND vs PAK match is worth reportedly around $250 million, as per The Age and given the revenue generated from this match, Pakistan could be cornered by both ICC and the broadcasters as things stand.

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ICC could impose several sanctions on PCB starting from withholding their share of the revenue pool.

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