- Sethi who formerly served as the head of the Pakistan Cricket Board has shared his opinion about Pakistan's decision to hold a cricket match against India. Pakistan had previously announced that it would not compete against India during the T20 World Cup 2026. The organization decided to proceed with the match after reaching an agreement with the International Cricket Council.
- The ICC warning about Pakistan's upcoming match caused multiple sources to report that Pakistan changed its position. Sethi rejected this view. The ICC made concessions during their talks which he described as testing both parties.
Sethi’s Remarks on ICC’s Role
- Sethi explained to an English media outlet that the ICC showed flexibility in its approach. Pakistan took time to study the situation before reaching its final choice. He stated that Pakistan sought legal advice from experts who worked in the country and abroad.
- Sethi indicated that Pakistan had full knowledge about what would happen if the match did not take place. The team would receive one point deduction without facing any further penalties. The ICC accepted this point of view according to him. Imran Khawaja who serves as ICC Deputy Chairman visited Pakistan to conduct talks that would assist in finding a solution to the issue.
Background of the Dispute
- The PCB had initially announced that Pakistan would not play against India in the T20 World Cup 2026. Bangladesh received support through the decision which established their current position. Pakistan in response to Sri Lanka's request for reconsideration of its stance asked Sri Lanka to reverse its decision. Sri Lanka confirmed that teams would continue to play matches according to their security situation at that time.
- If the India–Pakistan match had not taken place, the tournament risked losing significant revenue. Reports indicated that several ICC member nations urged Pakistan to review its decision. There were also concerns within Pakistan that ignoring Sri Lanka’s request could lead to diplomatic isolation in cricket matters.
- Eventually, Pakistan agreed to play the match against India. Publicly, the decision was described as support for Bangladesh rather than a change in position.
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