Lahore witnessed a high-stakes drama as Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi met ICC vice-chairman Imran Khwaja at Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday, February 8. The meeting was held to solve the ongoing tensions over Pakistan’s proposed boycott of its T20 World Cup 2026 clash against India in Colombo on February 15.
Asia Cup Trophy row reopened by Mohsin Naqvi in Lahore
During the discussion, Mohsin Naqvi raised several issues with the ICC, including the Asia Cup trophy row. A PCB official was quoted as saying by PTI, “He questioned Khwaja if the ICC would have kept quiet if the Pakistan team had refused to accept the Asia Cup trophy at the presentation from any Indian board official.”
After India beat Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2026 final last September, Suryakumar Yadav refused to take the winner’s trophy from the PCB and ACC chief, who is also Pakistan’s Interior Minister.
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PCB head felt ‘humiliated’
The team took that call in the wake of the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor. In a dramatic turn, Naqvi left the venue with the trophy, which led to a strong reaction from the BCCI.
The BCCI demanded the trophy back immediately, called Naqvi’s action unprofessional, and warned that the matter could escalate to the ICC. Well, even the ACC and ICC board members meeting didn’t help to solve that matter as of now.
Now, the controversy has escalated to the T20 World Cup 2026. The PCB made the most of the meeting to raise the old issues. At the recent meeting with the ICC and PCB, Mohsin Naqvi said he felt ‘humiliated’ during the Asia Cup final ceremony.
PCB and PCB push for Tri-Series with India
The ICC, along with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), is involved in negotiations to convince Pakistan to play against India. Mohsin Naqvi is expected to meet Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on February 9 and may urge him to reconsider the boycott after several cricket boards’ requests.
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Apart from resolving the T20 World Cup 2026 row, PCB and BCB are also pushing for a bigger plan: a tri-series involving India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. They called the ICC to restore cricket ties between the three nations and give fans more exciting matches through a tri-series.
ICC stays neutral on India-Pakistan-Bangladesh ties
As reported by Cricbuzz, it is not clear how many of the PCB and BCB demands have been accepted by the ICC. But it is being said that the global body cannot decide on any series with India, staying neutral on the tri-series proposal. Only the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which works under the Indian government, can take the call.
A series between India and Bangladesh is planned for September in Bangladesh. But because of current political tensions, it is not certain if it will happen. The final decision will need compromises from all sides. The ICC is trying to solve the issues through talks and discussion. But it is confirmed that the fate of the India-Pakistan clash will be decided on either February 9 or 10.
