India are set to face Pakistan on Sunday (February 15) at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The match was under threat after Pakistan refused to take the field following its government's directives last week. However, it didn't take them long to make a U-turn, and in its statement, Pakistan claimed it was playing to save the global cricket ecosystem. However, it is understood that reality is different.
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Aminul Islam, in a statement, claimed that he requested Pakistan to play the marquee clash against India. "Following my short visit to Pakistan yesterday and given the forthcoming outcomes of our discussions, I request Pakistan to play the ICC T20 World Cup game on February 15 against India for the benefit of the entire cricket ecosystem," Islam said in the statement.
According to a PTI report, it was PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi who asked the BCB president to make a 'formal appeal' to Pakistan to play against India on Sunday. "Bulbul was called by Naqvi to request that he issues a formal appeal to Pakistan to play the game (against India) and that was a respectable way of wriggling out of the mess," a source close to the development sad.
Sri Lanka President thanks Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif
Meanwhile, not only Bangladesh, even Sri Lanka had requested Pakistan to not boycott the match against India in Colombo as it would have incurred them a massive loss. After Pakistan agreed to play, Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake thanked Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif for allowing the cricket team to feature in the marquee clash.
"Thank you Prime Minister @CMShehbaz for ensuring the game we all love goes on. Delighted that the eagerly awaited India and Pakistan match at the ongoing T20 Cricket World Cup in Colombo will proceed as planned. As co-host of the tournament, Sri Lanka thanks the @ICC and all concerned for their efforts. Sri Lanka hasn’t forgotten the solidarity shown by both India and Pakistan during the 1996 World Cup, when they played in Colombo at a time when others refrained due to security concerns," he wrote on X.
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