India–Pakistan Clash Likely in Colombo: PCB Sets Three Tough Conditions for ICC

India–Pakistan T20 World Cup Clash Hangs by a Thread as PCB Plays Hardball.

What should have been the crown-jewel clash of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 has exploded into a full-blown power struggle, with Pakistan threatening to boycott its February 15 India match in Colombo even after the tournament has begun, holding the event hostage to politics, money, and leverage.

Following a closed-door meeting in Lahore on February 8 with PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, ICC officials, and the Bangladesh Cricket Board, Pakistan has reportedly put three non-negotiable demands on the table: a larger share of ICC revenues, an ICC-backed roadmap to restart frozen India-Pakistan bilateral cricket, and strict enforcement of post-match handshake protocols, reviving an old Asia Cup controversy under the banner of “sportsmanship.”The boycott threat has little to do with security in Sri Lanka and everything to do with diplomatic signalling, after Bangladesh refused to travel to India and was replaced by Scotland—an episode Islamabad claims exposed “double standards,” especially after India declined to tour Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy.

Acting on a direct government mandate, the PCB has turned the India match into a bargaining chip, forcing the ICC into crisis mode, with officials warning of material damage to the tournament, potential loss of revenue, and even membership sanctions if Pakistan walks away. As of now, the match remains scheduled at R. Premadasa Stadium, but the standoff has laid bare the fault lines of global cricket—where geopolitics, governance, and cash collide—leaving fans, broadcasters, and sponsors watching a ticking clock as back-channel talks race against a looming embarrassment for the sport.