Pakistan's U-turn on T20 World Cup India match Updates: ICC concessions emerge as India react to boycott withdrawal

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Pakistan's U-turn on T20 World Cup India match Updates: Reacting to Pakistan agreeing to play against India, Sourav Ganguly said that the former would find it tough to get the better of the arch-rival on February 15.

9:07 AM IST, Feb 10Won't be easy for Pakistan to beat India

7:59 AM IST, Feb 10Pakistan's U-turn on T20 World Cup India match Live Updates: No sanctions on BCB

6:54 AM IST, Feb 10Rajeev Shukla reacts

6:48 AM IST, Feb 10Pakistan's U-turn on T20 World Cup India match Live Updates: Saqlain Mushtaq lashes out at ex-cricketers

6:00 AM IST, Feb 10Pakistan's U-turn on T20 World Cup India match Live Updates: Wasim Jaffer trolls Pakistan

5:05 AM IST, Feb 10Michael Vaughan's request

4:48 AM IST, Feb 10Pakistan's U-turn on T20 World Cup India match Live Updates: The ICC's statement on BCB-ICC

4:09 AM IST, Feb 10Pakistan's U-turn on T20 World Cup India match Live Updates: USD 174 million saved

4:00 AM IST, Feb 10Pakistan's U-turn on T20 World Cup India match Live Updates: What did the Government of Pakistan say in its statement?

3:20 AM IST, Feb 10Pakistan's U-turn on T20 World Cup India match Live Updates: The inevitable happens!

Pakistan's U-turn on T20 World Cup India match Live Updates: Strong reactions emerged across India and Pakistan after the PCB backtracked on its boycott call, paving the way for the much-anticipated T20 World Cup showdown between the arch-rivals on February 15. The Government of Pakistan did a complete 360-degree U-turn on Monday, giving permission to the senior men's team to take the field against India in the T20 World Cup on February 15. The announcement was made after the ICC confirmed that no sanctions would be put on Bangladesh for not travelling to India for the tournament. It took just eight days for Pakistan to reverse its own stance. Once the announcement was made, the Sri Lankan President, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, thanked the Pakistan Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, for paving the way for the match to take place....Read More

In its official communication, the Government of Pakistan said, “In view of the outcomes achieved in multilateral discussions, as well as the request of friendly countries, the Government of Pakistan hereby directs the Pakistan National Cricket Team to take the field on February 15, 2026, for its scheduled fixture in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup.”

“Moreover, this decision has been taken with the aim of protecting the spirit of cricket, and to support the continuity of this global sport in all participating nations,” it added.

On Monday evening, Mohsin Naqvi, the PCB chief, gave the first major hint that a U-turn was coming, saying whenever a guest comes home, one tends to forget past incidents. He was speaking about the two-member ICC delegation visiting Lahore to meet with him and the BCB president, Aminul Islam. On Monday, even BCB requested Pakistan to play the match against India, and shortly after the plea was made, the Pakistan government made the decision official.

Follow all the updates here:

Feb 10, 2026 9:31:33 PM IST

Pakistan's U-turn on T20 World Cup India match Live Updates: Veteran PAK star reacts to players' equations!

Pakistan's U-turn on T20 World Cup India match Live Updates: Saqlain Mushtaq is pained to see the dwindling equations between India-Pakistan players and is afraid that this could be the new reality.

Pakistan's U-turn on T20 World Cup India match Live Updates: “I don’t think those things [the old spirit of the game] are coming back because things have gone too far. On the other side, they don’t want it to return; they have kept it this way specifically to polish their own politics and will continue to do so,” Mushtaq said on the ‘Game On’ show.

Feb 10, 2026 8:54:52 PM IST

Pakistan's U-turn on T20 World Cup India match Live Updates: BCCI Apex Council member reacts on Pakistan's U-turn

Pakistan's U-turn on T20 World Cup India match Live Updates: Board Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) Apex Council Member, Javdev Shah, lavished praise on the ICC after Pakistan rolled back on their threat to boycott the game against Pakistan. "This is a huge step by ICC, which showsthe World Cup is an important tournament for every country and there should be no politics in it. We are very happy with the ICC's stance. Pakistan had to change its decision," he told ANI.

Feb 10, 2026 8:23:32 PM IST

Pakistan's U-turn on T20 World Cup India match Live Updates: Team India reacts to boycott U-turn

Pakistan's U-turn on T20 World Cup India match Live Updates: India's assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate, in speaking to the media ahead of the match against Namibia, said that the players always knew the match was on. “First of all, it’s great that the game is back on. We never changed our preparation or our thinking that the game wasn’t going to happen,” ten Doeschate said. “We always had the impression that something would transpire and we would play, so it doesn’t really change the way we go about things.”

Feb 10, 2026 6:37:15 PM IST

Pakistan's U-turn on T20 World Cup India match Live Updates: Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif was made aware of the deal

Pakistan's U-turn on T20 World Cup India match Live Updates: The PTI report added that Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is also patron in chief of the PCB, was informed about the "concessions" that PCB would get if the government allows the team to play the match against India. "The ICC now has a clear understanding with Naqvi that no further details of the discussions that took place with PCB, Bangladesh Cricket Board and some other boards would be made public," the source said.

Feb 10, 2026 5:43:44 PM IST

Pakistan's U-turn on T20 World Cup India match Live Updates: ICC to reveal concessions for PCB for ending boycott

Pakistan's U-turn on T20 World Cup India match Live Updates: According to a PTI report, the ICC has promised a few concessions to the PCB for withdrawing the threat to boycott the game against India, and those will be announced only after the conclusion of the T20 World Cup. "Whatever concessions the PCB has got from the ICC on ending their boycott will only be made public after the end of T20 World Cup," a PCB source said.

Feb 10, 2026 4:40:55 PM IST

Pakistan's U-turn on T20 World Cup India match Live Updates: Hafeez happy India vs Pakistan match is on

Pakistan's U-turn on T20 World Cup India match Live Updates: Despite his criticism, Hafeez expressed relief and happiness that the India–Pakistan match would go ahead.

“In my opinion, whatever happened was not good for cricket,” Hafeez said. “When it comes to India versus Pakistan, I am always in favor of the match being played. This rivalry inspires the entire cricketing world. I hope this game happens — and not just this one. I want India–Pakistan matches to take place regularly.”

Feb 10, 2026 4:05:47 PM IST

Pakistan's U-turn on T20 World Cup India match Live Updates: Hafeez demands accountability

Pakistan's U-turn on T20 World Cup India match Live Updates: Former Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Hafeez launched a scathing attack on the ICC’s statement on Bangladesh, released on Monday, calling on the governing body to admit that its handling of the issue was a “total failure.”

“What was the conclusion of the politics played with the sport over the last two or three weeks?” Hafeez asked on the Game On Hai show on a Pakistani television channel. “First, we must look at the pain caused to cricket fans all over the world, whether they are Bangladeshi fans, England supporters or Pakistan fans. Everyone was hurt by this decision. My only question is: who was wrong?

“Someone was at fault, yet it wasn’t disclosed whose mistake it was. Compensation is being given, but on what basis? If it’s based on a mistake, why wasn’t it admitted? Later, they say they are taking decisions to protect ‘integrity and spirit’. Where were these claims before? Why did it even reach this point?”

Feb 10, 2026 2:37:03 PM IST

Pakistan's U-turn on T20 World Cup India match Live Updates: Won't be easy for Pakistan to beat India

Pakistan's U-turn on T20 World Cup India match Live Updates: Former India captain Sourav Ganguly reacted to the latest development, saying it won't be easy for Pakistan to beat India as the latter is a very strong side.

“It will be a big World Cup match. The match is on 15th February, it is not going to be easy for Pakistan to defeat India. India is a very good team,” he told news agency ANI.

Feb 10, 2026 1:29:35 PM IST

Pakistan's U-turn on T20 World Cup India match Live Updates: No sanctions on BCB

Pakistan's U-turn on T20 World Cup India match Live Updates: On Monday, the ICC also confirmed that no sanctions would be imposed on Bangladesh for missing the T20 World Cup. The BCB were also handed the option of going to the ICC's Dispute Resolution Committee if they wanted to challenge the Board's decision to replace them with Scotland in the tournament. Moreover, Bangladesh were also given the hosting rights for one event before 2031.

Feb 10, 2026 12:24:36 PM IST

Pakistan's U-turn on T20 World Cup India match Live Updates: Rajeev Shukla reacts

Pakistan's U-turn on T20 World Cup India match Live Updates: BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla lauded the ICC for bringing a resolution to the table and making Pakistan understand. He termed the solution “amicable”, saying cricket is back at the forefront.

“I am delighted to see the outcome of the deliberations initiated by ICC representative, supervised by the ICC Chairman and the representatives who had gone to Lahore to talk to Pakistan Cricket Board as well as Bangladesh Cricket Board. It's a good solution, an amicable solution which has been found to give priority to cricket's importance in the game. This is what has been done,” Shukla told reporters on Tuesday.

“So all kudos to ICC for taking this initiative, resolving the whole issue and bringing cricket back to the forefront. This is a big achievement as far as ICC is concerned. So I would like to thank ICC for taking this initiative and bringing Pakistan to the table, ultimately deciding for Pakistan to play in the Colombo match. It's good news for all of us and the scheduled match for 15th February in Colombo will take place,” he added.

Feb 10, 2026 12:18:43 PM IST

Pakistan's U-turn on T20 World Cup India match Live Updates: Saqlain Mushtaq lashes out at ex-cricketers

Pakistan's U-turn on T20 World Cup India match Live Updates: Former Pakistan spinner Saqlain Mushtaq lashed out at former India cricketers for spreading hatred. He made the comment on the same day when Pakistan made the U-turn and announced that it would be taking the field against India on February 15 in Colombo.

"Recently, an ex-cricketer—I won’t name him because it doesn’t feel right—was asked about Pakistan talking about their integrity and respect. He replied, ‘Look, before I speak, those who have no respect to begin with, how can they talk about respect?’ I mean, use some common sense! What kind of narrow-minded things are you saying? You are an ex-cricketer. Players are supposed to be heroes and stars, and stars shine for everyone. Heroes belong to everyone. At least try to act like a hero!” Saqlain said on the Game On Hai show.

Feb 10, 2026 11:30:36 AM IST

Pakistan's U-turn on T20 World Cup India match Live Updates: Wasim Jaffer trolls Pakistan

Pakistan's U-turn on T20 World Cup India match Live Updates: Former India batter Wasim Jaffer took to X (formerly Twitter) to troll Pakistan following the U-turn regarding the T20 World Cup match against India. He shared a uber-popular scene from the cult comedy ‘Hera Pheri’.

Sharing the meme, he wrote on X, “If you know, you know.”

Feb 10, 2026 10:35:35 AM IST

Pakistan's U-turn on T20 World Cup India match Live Updates: Michael Vaughan's request

Pakistan's U-turn on T20 World Cup India match Live Updates: Former England captain Michael Vaughan reacted to the latest development, urging India and Pakistan to play a Test series in the UK.

“It’s great for the comp and cricket .. We need them to somehow play a Test series soon as well .. UK would be a great place to host a 3 match series,” wrote Vaughan on X.

Feb 10, 2026 10:18:29 AM IST

Pakistan's U-turn on T20 World Cup India match Live Updates: The ICC's statement on BCB-ICC

Pakistan's U-turn on T20 World Cup India match Live Updates: After the confirmation by the Government of Pakistan, the ICC released a statement, confirming that the body was involved in good and fruitful conversations with the PCB and the importance was laid on maintaining the sanctity of the T20 World Cup schedule.

The full statement is as follows:

The dialogue between ICC and PCB took place as part of a broader engagement with both parties recognising the need for constructive dealings and being united, committed and purposeful in their aspirations to serve the best interests of the game with integrity, neutrality and cooperation.

In that prevailing spirit, it was agreed that all members will respect their commitments as per the terms of participation for ICC events and do all that is necessary to ensure that the ongoing edition of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup is a success.

With respect to Bangladesh, the ICC reiterated its continued facilitation of growth in one of cricket’s most vibrant markets, with more than 200 million passionate fans to ensure that the national team's non-participation in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 does not have any long-term effects on cricket in the country.

Feb 10, 2026 9:39:22 AM IST

Pakistan's U-turn on T20 World Cup India match Live Updates: USD 174 million saved

Pakistan's U-turn on T20 World Cup India match Live Updates: According to a report in the Indian Express, Pakistan's U-turn has resulted in USD 174 million being saved and there would be no financial loss for any stakeholder. Moreover the ticket prices for Colombo have also witnessed a sharp hike after the go ahead was given to the India versus Pakistan contest.

“The cumulative loss would have been around $174 million dollars, including those related to broadcasters, gate money and other sponsorships,” the Indian Express quoted a source as saying.

Feb 10, 2026 9:30:23 AM IST

Pakistan's U-turn on T20 World Cup India match Live Updates: What did the Government of Pakistan say in its statement?

Pakistan's U-turn on T20 World Cup India match Live Updates: The Government of Pakistan issued a lengthy statement on Monday night, while confirming that the match would go ahead against India in Colombo.

Here's the full text of the tweet put out by the official handle of Government of Pakistan:

The Honorable Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mr. Shehbaz Sharif has been formally briefed by the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Mr. Mohsin Naqvi, regarding the outcomes of high-level deliberations held between the PCB, representatives of the International Cricket Council (ICC), and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).

The Government of Pakistan has reviewed the formal requests extended to the PCB by the Bangladesh Cricket Board, as well as the supporting communications from Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates, and other member nations. These correspondences sought Pakistan’s leadership in securing a viable solution to recent challenges.

The Government further noted the statement by BCB President, Mr. Amin ul Islam. The profound gratitude expressed by our brotherly nation is received with great warmth. Pakistan reaffirms that it stands shoulder to shoulder with Bangladesh.

This evening, the Prime Minister held a telephone call with H.E. Anura Kumara Dissanayake, President of Sri Lanka. During their warm and friendly conversation, they recalled that Pakistan and Sri Lanka had always stood shoulder to shoulder, especially during challenging times. The Sri Lankan President requested the Prime Minister to accord serious consideration to amicably resolve the current impasse.

In view of the outcomes achieved in multilateral discussions, as well as the request of friendly countries, the Government of Pakistan hereby directs the Pakistan National Cricket Team to take the field on February 15, 2026, for its scheduled fixture in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

Moreover, this decision has been taken with the aim of protecting the spirit of cricket, and to support the continuity of this global sport in all participating nations.

The Prime Minister and the people of Pakistan extend their best wishes to the "Men in Green." We remain confident that our team will carry the spirit of sportsmanship and national pride onto the field as they compete for global glory.

Feb 10, 2026 8:50:26 AM IST

Pakistan's U-turn on T20 World Cup India match Live Updates: The inevitable happens!

Pakistan's U-turn on T20 World Cup India match Live Updates: The match between India and Pakistan would indeed go ahead as planned after the Government of Pakistan changed its previous stance and gave the permission to Salman Ali Agha to take the field against the traditional rivals on February 15 at the R Premadasa Stadium.

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