ICC to Hold Emergency Meeting on Pakistan’s Selective Participation in T20 World Cup: Report
The Pakistan cricket team has received clearance to travel to Sri Lanka and take part in the remainder of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, even as the International Cricket Council prepares to hold an emergency board meeting within the next 48 hours to review the situation.
According to a report by NDTV, the high-level meeting will focus on the Pakistan government’s decision to prevent the Salman Ali Agha-led side from playing against India in their Group A clash scheduled for February 15 in Colombo. While Pakistan will continue in the tournament, the ICC is reportedly unhappy with the decision to boycott a single match.
The report suggests that the outcome of the meeting could have far-reaching consequences, with the Pakistan Cricket Board potentially facing isolation depending on the ICC’s final stance.
Relations between the ICC and PCB have been under strain in recent weeks, particularly after Bangladesh were excluded from the T20 World Cup following the ICC’s rejection of their request to move matches from India to Sri Lanka citing security concerns. The Pakistan government put an end to days of uncertainty on Sunday by confirming its decision on the team’s participation through an official announcement on social media.
However, the ICC is reportedly dissatisfied with Pakistan’s selective participation in the tournament. The report adds that the PCB could face strict sanctions for refusing to play one match, with possible penalties including financial losses, restrictions on issuing No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) for overseas players in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), or even suspension from the ongoing T20 World Cup in an extreme scenario.
The government’s announcement came just a day before Pakistan were scheduled to depart for Sri Lanka. Riding high after a dominant 3-0 home series win against Australia, Pakistan will open their T20 World Cup campaign against the Netherlands on February 7, followed by matches against the USA on February 10 and Namibia on February 18. All three fixtures will be played at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) ground in Colombo.
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