Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake expressed gratitude to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for permitting the T20 World Cup 2026 match between India and Pakistan to proceed. The Pakistan government reversed its initial decision and authorized the men’s cricket team to participate in the scheduled match against India in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup on February 15. President Dissanayake appreciated the efforts of all involved, including the ICC, for ensuring the continuation of the much-anticipated India-Pakistan match in Colombo.
The President, acknowledging the historical solidarity between India and Pakistan during the 1996 World Cup, highlighted the significance of their match in Colombo amidst security concerns faced by other teams. Initially, Pakistan had advised its team to abstain from playing against India in support of Bangladesh, which was replaced by Scotland in the ICC T20 World Cup after its request to relocate matches from India to Sri Lanka was denied. However, following interventions from the ICC, Bangladesh Cricket Board, and Sri Lanka government, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif granted approval for the Pakistan men’s team to compete in the match.
The Pakistan government’s decision to allow the team to participate in the February 15 match was influenced by requests from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, along with the outcomes of multilateral discussions. In a statement issued on Monday night, the Pakistan Government directed the Pakistan National Cricket Team to honor its commitment in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup fixture. The dispute between the ICC and the Pakistan Cricket Board arose from Pakistan’s initial intention to feature in the World Cup but refrain from playing against India in Colombo.
The standoff originated from a disagreement between the ICC and Bangladesh, where the latter’s request to move matches from India to Sri Lanka due to security concerns was rejected, leading to their replacement by Scotland. Currently in Sri Lanka, the Pakistan team is set to play its second Group A match against the United States on Tuesday.
