Pakistan puts forth three conditions to play against India in T20 World Cup

PTC News Desk: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has reportedly laid down three conditions for the International Cricket Council (ICC) before it is willing to approach its government and consider backing out of its decision to skip the T20 World Cup match against India on February 15.

On Sunday, PCB officials, along with Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Aminul Islam Bulbul, met an ICC delegation in Lahore to look for a mutually acceptable solution, with the aim of ensuring that the India–Pakistan clash takes place as scheduled. According to reports, the PCB has told the ICC that it would reconsider its boycott only if certain demands are met, including a higher share of ICC-generated revenue.

Pakistan’s three reported demands to the ICC are:

• A bigger share in ICC revenue
• Resumption of bilateral cricket with India
• Strict implementation of the handshake protocol

The issue arose after the Pakistan government announced that it would not permit the team to play India at the T20 World Cup, even though the match was slated to be held at a neutral venue. The Shehbaz Sharif-led government did not clearly explain the reasons for the decision. 

Within the cricketing community, it was widely believed that Pakistan’s move was in support of Bangladesh, which had withdrawn from the tournament after the ICC rejected the BCB’s request to shift its matches out of India due to security concerns.

Following this, the ICC initiated talks with Pakistan and convened a high-level meeting with PCB officials. ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta joined the discussions via Zoom, while PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, ICC Deputy Chairman Imran Khwaja, and BCB president Aminul Islam Bulbul attended the meeting in Lahore.

The report further said that Bangladesh may seek compensation from the ICC, with Pakistan expected to play a role in facilitating a settlement as negotiations continue.