“The match should happen” - Former Pakistan cricketer on India vs Pakistan T20 WC clash

Former Pakistan cricketer Rashid Latif is confident that the India vs Pakistan group stage clash in the forthcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026 will happen as per the original schedule despite the tough stance taken by the Pakistan government. 

On Sunday, February 1, the Pakistan government took to social media to announce that the Pakistan team will play the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, but will not take the field against their arch-rivals India on Sunday, February 15, in Colombo.

However, the International Cricket Council (ICC) is yet to receive any official confirmation from the Pakistan Cricket Board. Notably, if the match doesn’t take place, there will be an estimated loss of around INR 2200 Crore.

Speaking exclusively to NDTV, Latif reckoned that the match not taking place will be bad for the game of cricket, adding that there is a lot of politics involved and a resolution will need talks between PCB and the apex body.

"We want to play cricket. There is a lot of politics involved and there will be back-channel talks between the PCB and ICC. The match should happen. There is a huge fan following in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. If the India-Pakistan match does not take place, it will be bad for cricket," Rashid Latif told NDTV.

On the other hand, according to a report published on RevSportz, the ICC has asked deputy chairman Imran Khwaja to hold talks with the PCB. Khwaja, who represents the Singapore Cricket Association, has been given the responsibility to convince Pakistan to play their group stage match against India.

Pakistan squad: Salman Ali Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan, Usman Tariq.

Stay updated with the latest cricket news, match insights, and exclusive updates at BetBarter and download the BetBarter app to start betting today!