Cricket Action in Colombo: Bangladesh Joins India-Pakistan Clash on Feb 15

India, Feb 12 : In a significant move ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has invited the heads of the top five Asian cricketing nations for a high-level meeting on the sidelines of the India vs Pakistan match in Colombo on February 15. The meeting aims to ease tensions between India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, which escalated prior to the tournament.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Aminul Islam told Prothom Alo that the ICC intends for representatives to watch the India-Pakistan clash together and engage in dialogue to strengthen cricketing relations in the region.

The development comes after Pakistan initially threatened to boycott the group-stage match against India, citing diplomatic concerns. Bangladesh played a key role in persuading Pakistan to participate, emphasizing the financial impact on all cricketing nations if the match were canceled. The India-Pakistan fixture is among the most commercially valuable in sports, generating around USD 250 million in broadcast revenues.

Islam revealed that Pakistan had even considered withdrawing entirely from the T20 World Cup, which could have disrupted broadcast agreements and long-term commercial contracts tied to the tournament. Following extensive consultations involving the ICC, BCB, and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Pakistan reversed its boycott decision on February 9. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed that the reversal was influenced by requests from friendly countries, including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the UAE, alongside the outcomes of multilateral discussions.

The Colombo meeting marks a rare effort by the ICC to use cricket diplomacy to resolve tensions and ensure the smooth conduct of one of the sport’s most high-profile encounters.