Officials from the International Cricket Council (ICC) held an important meeting with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in Lahore on Sunday evening. Bangladesh Cricket Board President Aminul Islam also attended the discussion at Gaddafi Stadium.
The meeting focused on Pakistan’s participation in the Group A match against India in the ongoing Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
Earlier, the PCB had refused to play India. The dispute started after the ICC rejected Bangladesh’s security concerns about matches scheduled in India. Bangladesh wanted some of its fixtures moved outside Indian venues. Pakistan supported that position and threatened a boycott.
PCB asks for handshake from Indian Cricket Team
However, Pakistan has now reportedly softened its stance. According to reports, the PCB is willing to play but only if certain conditions are accepted.
As per Cricbuzz, Pakistan demanded an increased share of ICC revenues as one of the conditions. The board also asked the ICC to ensure friendly behaviour between the teams.
The PCB wants Indian players and coaching staff to shake hands with the Pakistani players before and after the match. This demand comes after the recent Asia Cup, where the Indian team maintained distance and focused only on the game.
The PCB also made another unusual request. It asked the ICC to ensure India resumes bilateral cricket with Pakistan. However, bilateral series decisions are taken only by the two cricket boards involved. The ICC does not control such agreements. Therefore, the request is unlikely to be accepted.
According to Dawn, the ICC had “nothing to offer to Bangladesh as compensation but to ensure it would get a full share from the ICC earnings.”
ICC Deputy Chairperson Imran Khawaja advised Pakistan to “move its case before the ICC arbitration committee or bring it up during the ICC board meeting and end the boycott of the India-Pakistan match forthwith, as it was not good for cricket,”
Talks are still ongoing. The much-awaited India vs Pakistan clash now depends on further negotiations.
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