IND vs PAK T20 World Cup 2026: Ihsan Mani, who is an ex-chief of the International Cricket Council [ICC] and the PCB, has requested Jay Shah to go to Pakistan himself and persuade its government to end the boycott of their match against India during the upcoming mega event, which will be held in Colombo next week. Mani also said that when he is there, Shah, who is the current chairman of the ICC, should also hear what Pakistan has to say.
The 2026 T20 World Cup has gained attention for being a political playground due to the subcontinent teams. Earlier, Bangladesh, along with the help of Pakistan, had said that they wouldn't come to India due to security reasons.
The ICC rejected such claims, and after Bangladesh didn't confirm its participation by the deadline, it was replaced by Scotland. Mohsin Naqvi, who is the chairman of PCB, told the Pakistani government about the injustice and that they won't be playing against arch-rivals India to show their solidarity with Bangladesh.
ALSO READ: IND U19 vs ENG U19 LIVE Cricket Score: England Eye 2022 Final Revenge vs Dominating India
As per reports, Imran Khawaja, who is ICC's deputy chairman, was told to play the role of a mediator between PCB and the global body. But as per Mani, he is not the right man for this job.
“He should go to Pakistan to convince the government to end the boycott and also listen to their grievances," Mani was quoted as saying to the Dawn. “The ICC chairman should deal with the government of Pakistan on his own", he added.
This issue might get more complicated as India, Pakistan, and other cricket boards might suffer crores of losses if the match isn't being held as per schedule.
ALSO READ: ICC Provides 'Face Saving' Solution To PCB, 'Hopeful' That India-Pakistan Match Will Be Held As Per Schedule
Pakistan can argue its case: Mani
At the same time, if Pakistan stays firm with its boycott, then it might face legal actions, as it had signed a Members Participation Agreement for the mega event.
Mani emphasised that Pakistan doesn't have a strong case, but it can be argued.
“There may be some weakness in Pakistan’s case, because the ICC shifted Pakistan’s matches from India to Sri Lanka (under the hybrid model), but a competent legal team can argue it effectively… The boycott of the India-Pakistan match may be a violation of members’ participating agreement (signed between PCB and the ICC), but the negative attitude of the BCCI is to blame, which forced Pakistan to take such a big decision," he concluded.