BCB President urges Pakistan to play India in Colombo

BCB President urges Pakistan to play India in Colombo

Bangladesh Cricket Board president Aminul Islam on Monday requested the Pakistan Cricket Board to play their T20 World Cup group fixture against India, scheduled for February 15 in Sri Lanka.

The decision now rests with the Pakistan government, which had previously insisted Pakistan would participate in the T20 World Cup but not play against India.

A meeting was held in Lahore on Sunday between officials of the International Cricket Council and the PCB regarding Pakistan's participation in the February 15 match against India.

BCB president Aminul Islam, invited by the PCB, represented Bangladesh in the tripartite meeting, which was also attended by ICC officials.

Following deliberations, the matter is believed to have reached Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif for final approval.

"We are deeply moved by Pakistan's efforts to go above and beyond in supporting Bangladesh during this period. Long may our brotherhood flourish," Aminul said in a statement after returning to Bangladesh from Pakistan.

"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 15 February against India for the benefit of the entire cricket ecosystem," he added.

The PCB had earlier indicated it would not play India in protest over Bangladesh's exclusion from the tournament. Pakistan supported Bangladesh after they refused to travel to India for the World Cup, citing security reasons.

The ICC replaced Bangladesh with Scotland after failing to accommodate them in Sri Lanka on short notice following a BCB request to relocate their venues.