SLC Urges PCB to Reconsider India Match Boycott Ahead of T20 World Cup 2026

On February 5, 2023, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) reached out to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) regarding their decision to boycott the planned match between India and Pakistan during T20 World Cup 2026. The PCB responded to request for PCB's reconsideration of the boycott of this very important match. The PCB indicated that they will first confer with the Government of Pakistan on this issue.

In the initial response to PCB, SLC indicated on two pages the many arrangements that had already been made in the areas of 'commercial, operational, logistics and security related' for this very important match to be played between the two rival teams on February 15, at Colombo. If PCB proceeds with their boycott of this match, then SLC will incur an enormous financial loss. 

The SLC further reminded the PCB that they had provided support to Pakistan under very unfortunate circumstances when very few former Test playing nations would have travelled to Pakistan for tours. For example, after the tragic attack on February 3, 2009 on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore; SLC sent their National Team to Pakistan for a tour in October of 2017.

SLC urges PCB to reconsider India match boycott, decision pending Pakistan government talks

This helped other countries start touring Pakistan again. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan’s Minister of Interior and Narcotics Control, will hold talks with the Pakistan government.

“Obviously, Pakistan has always enjoyed very close and friendly ties with Sri Lanka at the government to government and cricket level. So, the mail from their Board can’t be ignored just like that,” a source told PTI.

SLC President Shammi Silva has officially contacted Naqvi about the issue. Since the PCB chief was not in Pakistan, he was unable to discuss the matter with the Pakistani government earlier. But he’ll return today (February 7) and talk it over with Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, whom he’d consulted before the boycott decision was announced.

“Mohsin Naqvi has been contacted directly by the Sri Lankan Board president Shammi Silva and been reminded that at this time Sri Lanka need Pakistan to step up for them, as without Pakistan and India matches, the Sri Lankan Board would stand to lose extra revenues from gate money, hospitality sales, etc.”

“PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has not even been in the country since yesterday and is due back today. He will bring the email to the notice of the Prime Minister on ending the boycott of the India match, and then a decision would be made on the matter by Monday,” the source said.

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