The Bangladesh Cricket Board urged Pakistan to reverse its boycott of the T20 World Cup game against India on 15 February, following a meeting in Lahore with the ICC and Pakistan Cricket Board.
Pakistan’s boycott of the match in Colombo stems from the ICC replacing Bangladesh with Scotland after Bangladesh refused to travel to co-hosts India.
The ICC confirmed it would not penalise Bangladesh for their refusal to play in India, also announcing Bangladesh would host an ICC event prior to the 2031 50-over World Cup, co-hosted by India and Bangladesh.
BCB president Mohammad Aminul Islam said: “We are deeply moved by Pakistan’s efforts to go above and beyond in supporting Bangladesh during this period … I request Pakistan to play the game on 15 February against India for the benefit of the entire cricket ecosystem.”
Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav confirmed his team would travel to Colombo for Sunday’s match despite Pakistan’s boycott.
