Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif may have reiterated his government’s stance of not playing India in the T20 World Cup, but the final word seems to have not been written yet.
Sources told The Telegraph that the Pakistan Cricket Board has set conditions before the International Cricket Council during backroom channel discussions, which are being deliberated upon to break the deadlock arising out of the issue.
ICC deputy chair Imran Khwaja is negotiating with the PCB on behalf of the world body and there have been positive vibes emerging out of the dialogue in the past 48 hours. However, no conclusion has yet been reached between the parties.
ICC chair Jay Shah and chief executive Sanjog Gupta are expected to reach Mumbai late on Thursday after attending an International Olympic Committee conclave in Milan.
The all-important Group A match is scheduled for February 15 in Colombo.
It is understood that more drama could be in store despite Sharif issuing a hard stand late on Wednesday.
“We have taken a very clear stand on the T20 World Cup that we won’t play the match against India because there should be no politics on the sports field,” Sharif told members of his cabinet. “We have taken a very considered stance, and we should completely stand by Bangladesh, and I think this is a very appropriate decision.”
This is the first time Pakistan has officially cited a reason after having announced their decision via a social media post on Sunday. However, it is yet to notify the ICC about its plans.
Bangladesh refused to play their matches in India because of security concerns after IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders released pacer Mustafizur Rahman following an instruction from the Board of Control for Cricket in India that cited “recent developments” in the neighbouring country. Bangladesh were subsequently replaced by Scotland after the ICC board voted 14-2 in favour
of not shifting their matches to Sri Lanka.
Suryakumar Yadav confirmed the Indian team was travelling to Colombo for the match against Pakistan.
“Their decision is not in my control. I wish I could take that decision. It’s their call. We have been told that we have to play a game on
the 15th. We played them three times in the Asia
Cup at a neutral venue. We played some good cricket, we won and we were very
happy. If we get an opportunity, we will definitely play them,” the India captain said on Thursday.
Sri Lanka Cricket chief Shammi Silva has written to the PCB to reconsider their decision since it will cause logistical and financial setbacks to the country’s economy. The letter reminded PCB of its support to them during challenging times in the past.
In Colombo, Pakistan captain Salman Agha also echoed similar sentiments.
However, there is doubt in several quarters over whether Pakistan will forfeit their match against India if their opener versus the Netherlands on Saturday is washed out. There is a forecast of heavy showers in Colombo on the opening day.
