A delegation from the International Cricket Council, led by the governing body’s Deputy Chairman, is set to hold discussions with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) during the T20 World Cup 2026. According to reports, the ICC will try to persuade Pakistan to play against Team India in Colombo on February 15.
Tension around the India-Pakistan match continues to grow with each passing day. The situation escalated after the Government of Pakistan announced a boycott of the World Cup fixture, with the PCB accusing the ICC of taking a biased stance on removing Bangladesh from the marquee tournament.
BCCI Stays Silent as PCB Stands Firm on India Match Boycott
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has stayed silent and continued to follow ICC guidelines, while the PCB has stood firm on boycotting the match against India. Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif refused to allow the team to play India despite granting permission to participate in the event.
India-Pakistan matches remain among the most valuable fixtures in world cricket due to massive broadcast, sponsorship, and advertising revenue. Tensions later rose between the India and Bangladesh cricket boards following the removal of Mustafizur Rahman from the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Bangladesh subsequently requested the ICC to move its matches outside India, but the appeal was rejected. With no scope for schedule changes on short notice, the ICC replaced Bangladesh with Scotland. Following this move by the ICC, Pakistan reiterated its stance on the clash against India.
BCB President Aminul Islam in Pakistan as ICC Steps In to Resolve India Match Boycott
BCB President Aminul Islam arrived in Pakistan on Sunday. During his visit, he is scheduled to attend an emergency meeting called by the ICC, with representatives from other boards also expected to take part.
Aminul Islam will also hold talks with Mohsin Naqvi before returning to Dhaka. The ICC delegation led by the governing body’s Deputy Chairman is due to arrive in Pakistan at 4:30 pm.
The delegation is expected to hold talks with Pakistani officials to address the boycott and convince Pakistan to play the match against India in Colombo.
“Big breaking 🚨An #ICC delegation, led by the Governing body’s Deputy Chairman is visiting Pakistan today to hold talks and convince Pakistan to play the match vs India in Colombo on Feb 15. BCB president Amin Ul Islam Bulbul will be in Lahore too,” TOI journalist Gaurav Gupta wrote.
Big breaking 🚨
An #ICC delegation, led by the Governing body’s Deputy Chairman is visiting Pakistan today to hold talks and convince Pakistan to play the match vs India in Colombo on Feb 15. BCB president Amin Ul Islam Bulbul will be lahore too#T20WorldCup2026— Gaurav Gupta (@toi_gauravG) February 8, 2026
India-Pakistan Match Remains Cricket’s Biggest Money-Maker
An India-Pakistan match is the biggest money-maker in cricket. Every time the two teams play, the game attracts massive interest from broadcasters, sponsors, and advertisers.
According to reports, a single India-Pakistan T20 match is worth around $500 million, or nearly INR 45,000 crore, with broadcast deals, sponsorships, advertising, ticket sales, and related business included.
Advertising rates for a 10-second ad slot during the match reportedly cost between INR 25 lakh and INR 40 lakh, much higher than even India’s knockout games against other strong teams. Advertising revenue from this one match alone is estimated at around INR 300 crore.
Also read: Big twist in T20 World Cup 2026! PCB reconsiders boycotting India match after ICC warning
