T20 WC: SLC writes to PCB after Pakistan’s stand of boycotting India fixture in Colombo

NEW DELHI: Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) wrote a missive to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) connected Thursday, urging it to reconsider its determination to boycott the India vs Pakistan fixture astatine the T20 World Cup 2026, scheduled for February 15 astatine the R.

Premadasa International Cricket Stadium successful Colombo.TimesofIndia.com is successful possession of the two-page missive written by SLC, successful which it reminded the PCB of Sri Lanka’s past enactment to Pakistan during challenging times and urged the committee to reconsider its stance. The missive besides highlights important financial, logistical and reputational consequences for the co-hosts if the crippled does not spell up arsenic planned.

“We privation to spot connected grounds that Sri Lanka is highly anticipating the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, peculiarly successful its capableness arsenic a big venue for matches assigned to Sri Lanka. All commercial, operational, logistical and security-related arrangements successful respect of these matches person already been finalised. This includes, inter alia, hospitality readying and the merchantability of lucifer tickets,” the missive read.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“It is pertinent to enactment that summons income for the matches scheduled to beryllium hosted successful Sri Lanka, successful peculiar the India versus Pakistan fixture, person already been finalised and person recorded exceptionally beardown demand, with tickets being sold fast, reflecting unprecedented nationalist involvement and important commercialized expectations for Sri Lanka Cricket.

Any non-participation successful a scheduled marquee fixture of this quality would truthful person wide-ranging implications, including important fiscal vulnerability for SLC and the imaginable nonaccomplishment of anticipated tourism inflows and broader economical benefits arising from heightened planetary involvement successful the tournament.

”The committee pointed retired that tickets for matches successful Sri Lanka, particularly the India–Pakistan fixture, person been sold amid exceptional demand, underscoring unprecedented nationalist involvement and important commercialized expectations.SLC cautioned that non-participation successful a marquee fixture of this standard would person far-reaching consequences, exposing the committee to large fiscal losses portion besides impacting tourism inflows and the broader economy.“The Government of Sri Lanka is attentive to the imaginable interaction of a boycott, fixed the important economical benefits expected from hosting these matches. Any alteration to the scheduled fixtures would truthful impact not lone Sri Lanka Cricket but besides the wider scope of stakeholders progressive successful ensuring the palmy behaviour of the tournament." Six Sri Lankan players were wounded successful March 2009 erstwhile gunmen opened occurrence connected their squad autobus arsenic it was driving to Gaddafi Stadium successful Lahore for a Test match.The incidental led to planetary teams staying distant from Pakistan for astir a decade. That streak was breached erstwhile Sri Lanka became the archetypal to play a Test lucifer successful Pakistan aft a 10-year spread (in 2019). “In this context, we respectfully callback that Sri Lanka Cricket and the Sri Lanka National Team have, connected respective occasions, toured Pakistan and participated successful planetary fixtures notwithstanding exceptionally challenging and delicate circumstances, including superior security-related incidents.

These person included, inter alia, the onslaught connected the nationalist squad convoy, arsenic a effect of which definite Sri Lankan players and officials sustained injuries, immoderate of whom proceed to transportation carnal impacts from those injuries to date, portion others were near with profound and lasting intelligence trauma.

In much caller instances, further information incidents, including bombings successful the region, placed further affectional and nonrecreational strain connected squad members, with immoderate compelled to contemplate withdrawal from ongoing engagements,” SLC said successful the letter.Newswire, a Sri Lankan media outlet, has reported that Sri Lanka’s tourism and hospitality assemblage has already felt the interaction of Pakistan’s reported determination to skip the February 15 lucifer successful Colombo, with wide edifice booking cancellations crossed respective Colombo-based properties.“Notwithstanding the gravity of these circumstances, Sri Lanka Cricket, successful adjacent coordination with the Government of Sri Lanka, remained steadfast successful its enactment of Pakistan and the Pakistan Cricket Board, and continued to honour its commitments to planetary cricket successful the broader interests of the crippled and planetary solidarity, astatine times erstwhile respective different cricketing nations were hesitant oregon unwilling to circuit Pakistan,” the missive read.“In airy of this longstanding enactment and cooperation, SLC respectfully expects the aforesaid tone of reciprocity and communal respect to prevail, peculiarly wherever the matches successful question are scheduled to beryllium played successful Sri Lanka, a state that has extended each assurance with respect to security, neutrality and professionalism.“In presumption of the foregoing, and if immoderate determination has so been taken to boycott oregon abstain from participating successful the India vs Pakistan lucifer scheduled for February 15, 2026, we respectfully and earnestly petition the PCB to reconsider specified a decision.

We impulse you to instrumentality into relationship the exceptional circumstances, the enduring narration betwixt our 2 Boards and the broader interests of the crippled of cricket.“We humbly petition that the Pakistan squad enactment successful each scheduled matches successful Sri Lanka, including the aforesaid fixture, successful the existent tone of sportsmanship and without selective abstention, for the payment of the tournament, its stakeholders and the millions of cricket fans worldwide.“We convey the Pakistan Cricket Board and the Government of Pakistan for the highest information fixed to this substance and respectfully look guardant to receiving a affirmative effect astatine your earliest convenience.”

On Sunday, the Pakistani authorities announced that its men’s cricket squad volition not instrumentality the tract against arch-rivals India connected February 15, without stating the crushed down the decision.“The Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan grants support to the Pakistan Cricket Team to enactment successful the ICC World T20 2026; however, the Pakistan Cricket Team shall not instrumentality the tract successful the lucifer scheduled connected February 15 against India,” the Pakistan authorities said successful a station connected X.