Lahore, February 8, 2026: International Cricket Council (ICC) Deputy Chair Imran Khawaja and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Aminul Islam arrived separately in Lahore on Sunday for high-level engagements with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) leadership.
Confirming Khawaja’s arrival in a post on X, the PCB said he is scheduled to meet Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan’s interior minister. Khawaja was received at Lahore airport by Amir Mir, an adviser to the PCB chairman.
According to an earlier PCB statement, BCB President Aminul Islam will also hold talks with Naqvi. He was welcomed at the airport by Pakistan Super League (PSL) CEO Salman Naseer — another adviser to the PCB chairman — along with other officials.
The visits come a day after the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup began, a 20-team tournament already overshadowed by political tensions. Bangladesh was replaced by Scotland after refusing to play matches in India over security concerns. The ICC had rejected Dhaka’s request to relocate its fixtures to Sri Lanka, prompting Bangladesh to withdraw from the event.
Pakistan later confirmed its participation in the World Cup but announced it would not play its scheduled match against arch-rivals India in Colombo. Responding to the development, the ICC stated that “selective participation is difficult to reconcile with the fundamental premise of a global sporting event where all qualified teams are expected to compete on equal terms.”
The global cricket body urged the PCB to consider the long-term implications for cricket and work toward a mutually acceptable resolution that protects the interests of all stakeholders, emphasizing that the successful delivery of the tournament remains a shared responsibility.
A government source said Pakistan’s decision to boycott the February 15 clash with India was intended to show solidarity with Bangladesh and protest what it termed the ICC’s “biased decision.”
Matches between India and Pakistan are among the most lucrative in international cricket, generating millions in broadcast, sponsorship, and advertising revenue. Reports suggest the ICC has initiated back-channel efforts to defuse the situation and avoid major financial losses.
Sri Lanka Cricket has also urged Pakistan to reconsider the boycott, warning that such a move could negatively impact the country’s tourism industry, which is still recovering from the 2022 economic crisis.
Pakistan, who defeated the Netherlands in the tournament opener on Saturday, risk losing two points and damaging their net run rate if they forfeit the match. Captain Salman Agha has indicated that any potential encounter with India in the knockout stages would be decided after consultation with the government.
