Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has thanked Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for directing the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to withdraw its boycott of the T20 World Cup match against India, scheduled for 15 February in Colombo.
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The high-profile India–Pakistan clash will now go ahead as planned after Pakistan’s government reversed its earlier decision following diplomatic persuasion from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, bringing an end to an impasse that had threatened to overshadow the ongoing tournament.
“Delighted that the eagerly awaited India–Pakistan match at the ongoing T20 Cricket World Cup in Colombo will go ahead,” Dissanayake wrote on X.
Dissanayake had personally spoken to Sharif on Monday night, urging him to reconsider Pakistan’s stance. The call followed a formal letter from Sri Lanka Cricket to the PCB requesting a rethink on the boycott.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister’s Office later acknowledged the conversation in an official release, which effectively confirmed the end of the boycott and cleared the way for the marquee fixture to be played.
Pakistan had earlier announced it would not take the field against India, framing the move as a political protest linked to Bangladesh’s withdrawal from the tournament. Bangladesh were replaced after the ICC declined their request to shift matches from India to Sri Lanka, citing security considerations.
