Colombo: Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has appealed to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to reconsider its visualization to snub the T20 World Cup match versus India. SLC, co-hosts of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, stated in a letter to the PCB that the visualization to withdraw from the India-Pakistan match scheduled to be held in Colombo is causing significant financial losses.
What has Sri Lanka Cricket said?
According to Sri Lanka Cricket, all preparations for this blockbuster match had once been completed, but Pakistan's visualization has led to widespread hotel booking cancellations, severely impacting Colombo's tourism sector. Reports indicate that Sri Lanka Cricket President Shammi Silva said that the receipt of this high-voltage match could have a serious negative impact on the commercial and sporting aspects of the tournament.
Sri Lanka Cricket reminded the PCB that it has unchangingly supported Pakistan during difficult times and, given the current situation, appealed to the Pakistan Cricket Board to reconsider its decision. Referring to past cooperation, Sri Lanka Cricket recalled that its team had toured Pakistan several times under challenging and sensitive circumstances when other cricket nations were hesitant to do so. These decisions were made in the spirit of sportsmanship and bilateral respect between the two boards.
What visualization did Pakistan government take?
Initially, the Pakistan Cricket Board had threatened to snub the unshortened tournament in protest versus Bangladesh's last-minute withdrawal. Later, the Pakistan Cricket Board left the visualization regarding the team's participation to the Pakistan government led by Shehbaz Sharif. Ultimately, the Pakistan government unliable the team, captained by Salman Ali Agha, to travel to Sri Lanka for the T20 World Cup, but prohibited them from playing the high-profile match versus India at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on February 15th.
Sri Lanka Cricket stated that as a host nation, it is extremely enthusiastic well-nigh the tournament and that all commercial, operational, logistical, and security preparations for all matches to be held there have once been completed. This includes hospitality planning and the sale of match tickets. The letter moreover stated that tickets for the matches in Sri Lanka, particularly the India-Pakistan match, have once been sold out and have seen tremendous demand, reflecting unprecedented public interest and significant commercial stakes. Sri Lanka Cricket warned that the sparsity of any team from such a high-profile tournament could lead to serious consequences, including substantial financial losses, an impact on tourism, and broader economic repercussions.
