PCB Chairman Naqvi to seek PM's final decision on India match after ICC talks

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi is set to meet Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif within the next day or two over India-Pakistan match in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 which is scheduled for February 15 in Sri Lanka, sources told Geo News on Sunday.

The meeting comes at the request of the International Cricket Council (ICC), with Naqvi set to seek instructions from the Prime Minister regarding the upcoming mega-event fixture. 

Sources emphasised that the final decision on the match will rest with Shehbaz Sharif.

Naqvi is also focused on resolving issues arising from the recent incident involving Bangladesh, sources added. Negotiations between the concerned parties had already begun and reportedly lasted over three hours.

According to insiders, talks between the ICC, PCB, and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) took a break for dinner after four hours. Following the break, it was decided to change the venue for the discussions, with negotiations set to resume thereafter.

All parties are making efforts to ensure the talks are productive, with sources adding that resolving the Bangladesh overstep issue would be key to a successful outcome.

The development follows a crucial meeting between PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, BCB President Aminul Islam, and ICC Deputy Chairman Imran Khwaja.

Recently, the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) also contacted the PCB, urging a reconsideration of the boycott decision ahead of the India clash, citing the long-term interests of the game.

The Government of Pakistan on February 1 decided that the national men’s cricket team would participate in the ongoing tournament but would not take the field in the group-stage match against arch-rivals India.

The PCB has cited what it terms a “biased approach” by the ICC, with Bangladesh playing a central role in the ongoing dispute.

The emergency ICC meeting comes just days after the Indian media suggested that the global cricket governing body had begun exploring back-channel options to persuade Pakistan to reconsider their stance on the T20 World Cup 2026 fixture against India.

It is understood that ICC Deputy Chairman Imran Khwaja has been assigned the responsibility of initiating informal talks with Pakistan on the matter.

Khwaja, who represents the Singapore Cricket Association, has reportedly been tasked with engaging the PCB in an effort to convince it to agree to the high-profile encounter.

Indian media further claimed that he has been asked to act as a mediator and initiate dialogue with the PCB to ease tensions surrounding the fixture.

Later that day, Prime Minister of Pakistan Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif called for the eradication of politics from sports as he backed the federal government's decision to bar the national team from taking the field against arch-rivals India at the 20-team mega event, scheduled to run from February 7 to March 8.

The Premier, while addressing the federal cabinet, termed the government's decision "appropriate", and shared that it was taken after a collective and careful deliberation in response to the politicisation of the sport.

"We have taken a clear stand regarding the T20 World Cup that we will not play the match against India," he said.

"There should be no politics in sports," he said. "We have taken this stand after deliberating on it carefully," he said, calling it an "appropriate decision".