The much-anticipated India-Pakistan match in Colombo on February 15 will go ahead as scheduled.

The International Cricket Council confirmed the development late on Monday night after Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif gave its cricket team the consent to take the field for the high-profile clash.

“In that prevailing spirit, it was agreed that all members will respect their commitments as per the terms of participation for ICC events and do all that is necessary to ensure that the ongoing edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is a success,” the ICC said.

This follows ICC’s dialogue with the Pakistan Cricket Board in Lahore on Sunday, which recognised “the need for constructive dealings and being united, committed and purposeful in their aspirations to serve the best interests of the game with integrity, neutrality and cooperation.”

The ICC described its tripartite meeting as “open, constructive and congenial” with the PCB and the Bangladesh Cricket Board.

Sharif had announced on February 1, via a social media post, that Pakistan would play in the tournament but would not take the field against India. He had said that the decision to boycott the India game was taken in solidarity with Bangladesh, who were replaced by Scotland in the World Cup, after they refused to play in India citing security issues.

The ICC didn’t agree to Bangladesh’s demand of shifting their matches to Sri Lanka since it would result in logistical problems. PCB had voted in favour of BCB during the ICC board meeting to decide on Bangladesh’s fate.

“In view of the outcomes achieved in multilateral discussions, as well as the request of friendly countries (Sri Lanka and UAE), 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,” a release from Sharif’s office said.

Sharif spoke to Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, informing him of Pakistan’s decision to play the game. Sri Lanka Cricket had pleaded with the PCB to withdraw their boycott.

BCB president Aminul Islam, who was present at the Lahore meeting, also issued a statement late on Monday requesting Pakistan to participate in the high-profile clash.

“Following my short visit to Pakistan yesterday and given the forthcoming outcomes of our discussions, I request Pakistan to play the ICC T20 World Cup game on 15 February against India for the benefit of the entire cricket ecosystem,” Islam said.

The ICC release mentioned that there would be no penalty or sanctions on the BCB and “an agreement has been reached that Bangladesh will host an ICC event prior to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2031, subject to the usual ICC hosting processes, timelines and operational requirements.”

Pakistan hasn’t had any major gains from the tripartite meeting in Lahore with the ICC taking a lenient view of Bangladesh for their refusal to play in India.

“It is agreed that no financial, sporting or administrative penalty will be imposed on Bangladesh Cricket Board in relation to the current matter,” the ICC said.

“It is acknowledged that BCB retains the right to approach the Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC), should it choose to do so. This right exists under current ICC regulations and remains intact.

“The ICC’s approach is guided by its principles of neutrality and fairness and reflects the shared objective of facilitative support rather than punishment.”

There is talk that the PCB and BCB are demanding an increased share of the ICC revenue. As per the current revenue-sharing model, which runs till 2027, Pakistan receives $34.51 million annually from the ICC while Bangladesh gets $26.74 million.