Pakistan impasse headed for thaw with Prime Minister's nod awaited

The ICC-Pakistan row may well be reaching a climax, with the possibility of a potential climbdown by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) from its public stance of not playing against India.

After a marathon tripartite meeting among representatives of the International Cricket Council (ICC), the Pakistan Cricket Board and the Bangladesh Cricket Board in Lahore, as reported by Cricbuzz on Sunday, the matter is believed to have reached the table of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, who is expected to put his stamp of approval.

Indications are that it would come after an expected meeting between Sharif and PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi later in the day and a formal announcement, either by the ICC or the PCB, is expected by the end of the day. With less than a week left for the game, any further delay in the announcement, either way, would be self-defeating. Fans and stakeholders need time to travel to Colombo, where the match is scheduled for February 15.

It is understood that the ICC has held firm on its expectation that Pakistan does not have grounds to make any demands and should, in fact, play as per the terms of Members Participation Agreement (MPA) and the pact it signed in December 2024, which proposed a hybrid hosting structure to accommodate India and Pakistan's matches in neutral venues.

Tri-series with India among PCB and BCB's demands

Some of the demands, as being speculated in the media, may be accurate: that the PCB was seeking the restoration of bilateral series with India not just for Pakistan, but also for Bangladesh. What is more, the PCB and the BCB have sought a tri-series involving India and themselves.

How many of the PCB/BCB demands were accepted is not clear, but the ICC cannot assure bilateral or tri-series that involve India. That is the prerogative of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which functions under the authority of the Government of India. A bilateral series between India and Bangladesh is scheduled in September in Bangladesh but given the current diplomatic tensions between the two countries, there will always be doubts about that series.

The final arrangement will surely involve some give and take, since the ICC, in all earnestness, has prioritised process over politics and, more pertinently, dialogue over conflict. Despite allegations of bias by experts in Pakistan and reports in its media, the ICC has largely been accommodating. If there is to be a resolution to the vexing issue eventually, it will be because of the intent shown by the world body, which continues to engage with all parties, including the BCB.

ICC deputy chair Imran Khwaja was in Lahore, and indications are that another board director, Mubashir Usmani of the UAE (online), was also at the negotiating table. However, most of the work happened behind the scenes, in Dubai and Mumbai, where ICC officials are understood to be working tirelessly, for this issue in particular and the ongoing World Cup in general.

Prolonged uncertainty from a few boards, mainly Pakistan, around a global event inevitably has added to the logistical burden. The delay has also left thousands of fans, many of whom have already bought tickets and booked flights and hotels, in a state of limbo.