Pakistan’s government has directed its national men’s cricket team to play the scheduled ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 match against India on Feb. 15 in Colombo, ending uncertainty over the high-profile fixture.
The decision came after discussions involving the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), officials said. Friendly countries, including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates, had formally requested Pakistan reconsider an earlier stance that had signalled a possible boycott of the match.
Pakistan had been under pressure after announcing its intent not to play the India fixture in support of Bangladesh, which was removed from the tournament draw earlier this week following its refusal to tour India over safety concerns. After multilateral talks, the federal government ordered the team to take the field on Feb. 15 as originally scheduled.
India’s team has also confirmed it will travel to Colombo for the match regardless of Pakistan’s position. The contest remains one of the most anticipated fixtures of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.