Backroom channel discussions between the International Cricket Council, its various stakeholders and the Pakistan Cricket Board were held right through Monday to break the deadlock arising out of the Pakistan government's decision to boycott the T20 World Cup group match against India in Colombo on February 15.

Sources told The Telegraph that the ICC hasn't yet informed its board members of any emergent meeting. No formal communication has also been sent by the PCB to the ICC on its decision to forfeit the high-profile clash. A social media post isn't treated as a valid document to convene an emergent meeting.

The Pakistan government's statement on X didn't specify any reason for the decision. "The Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan grants approval to the Pakistan Cricket Team to participate in the ICC World T20 2026, however, the Pakistan Cricket Team shall not take the field in the match scheduled on 15th February 2026 against India," the post on Sunday evening said.

Sanctions to be imposed on the PCB, if they stick to their decision to not play against India, have to be cleared by the ICC board. The board comprises 16 members — 12 full members and three Associate nations, besides the ICC chair Jay Shah. Chief executive Sanjog Gupta also attends the board meetings, but he doesn't have any vote.

The ICC had issued a strongly-worded statement late on Sunday itself saying it "expects the PCB to explore a mutually acceptable resolution, which protects the interests of all stakeholders," and won't allow selective participation.

"While the ICC awaits official communication from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), this position of selective participation is difficult to reconcile with the fundamental premise of a global sporting event where all qualified teams are expected to compete on equal terms per the event schedule.

"ICC tournaments are built on sporting integrity, competitiveness, consistency and fairness, and selective participation undermines the spirit and sanctity of the competitions."

The Pakistan squad landed in Colombo on Monday afternoon and will play their first match against the Netherlands on Saturday.

If Pakistan end up not playing the match against India, they are likely to face strong sanctions from the ICC, which could include a suspension.

Several stakeholders, including the broadcasters, are staring at a huge loss since the lucrative fixture generates huge revenue. The broadcaster pays ₹138.70 crore approximately for a World Cup match.

The BCCI though is not reading much into it and has already made arrangements for the team to fly to Colombo after their match in New Delhi on February 12.