By our correspondent
LAHORE: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has asked its Deputy Chairman, Imran Khwaja, to conduct back-channel negotiations with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) following Pakistan’s decision to boycott its T20 World Cup 2026 match against India, a foreign media reported on Wednesday.
Khwaja, who represents the Singapore Cricket Association and is seen within the ICC as a neutral figure, has been tasked with persuading Pakistan to play the group match scheduled for February 15 in Colombo, Sri Lanka, reported Firstpost.
The announcement follows Pakistan’s government statement on Sunday confirming the country’s participation in the T20 World Cup 2026, while signaling it would abstain from the match against arch-rival India.
Daily Metro Morning reported that the boycott was intended as a show of solidarity with Bangladesh, which the ICC removed from the tournament. The move sparked widespread outrage in Bangladesh.
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