NEW DELHI: When Pakistan announced the boycott of their T20 World Cup match against India on February 1, scheduled to be held on February 15 in Colombo, the common notion in India was that Pakistan would certainly make a U-turn from their stand, as history suggests.
And the perennial backtrackers did not disappoint this time either, as they decided to withdraw their boycott call following persuasion from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, the Pakistan government stated in a press release.
‘Did nothing for ourselves’: Mohsin Naqvi frames Pakistan’s India U-turn as principled stand
Pakistan embroiled itself in an unwanted controversy by boycotting the match against India in a show of solidarity with Bangladesh after their request to shift matches from India to Sri Lanka over security concerns was rejected by the ICC, following which Bangladesh were replaced by Scotland.
Here's a look at the PCB's U-turns in the recent past
The Pakistan Cricket Board's history is full of strong statements followed by quick reversals, and the latest episode during the T20 World Cup only adds to that list.
Before the Asia Cup 2023, the PCB insisted that India would travel to Pakistan to play their matches. In the end, India played all their games in Sri Lanka.
ICC calls Bangladesh’s World Cup absence ‘regrettable’, confirms no penalty
Ahead of the 2023 ODI World Cup, Pakistan took a firm stand, saying they would not travel to India. That position didn't last long, as Pakistan eventually played all their matches in India.
The same pattern was seen during discussions around the Champions Trophy 2025. The PCB claimed India would come to Pakistan for the tournament, but India ended up playing all their matches in Dubai.
In the Asia Cup 2025, Pakistan went a step further and threatened to boycott the tournament unless match referee Andy Pycroft was removed. Despite the threat, Pycroft remained in his role and the PCB backed down.
Most recently, during the T20 World Cup, Pakistan announced it would boycott its match against India. Once again, the stance was reversed, with the PCB agreeing to play the fixture.
Time and again, these episodes have highlighted a familiar trend - bold declarations followed by inevitable U-turns.
What is more baffling is that the latest PCB U-turn came despite several of its demands being outrightly rejected by the ICC.
The PCB demanded that India be asked to resume bilateral cricket with Pakistan, but the ICC rejected the request, stating that it does not fall under its jurisdiction.
Pakistan also pushed for a tri-series involving India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, which was again turned down by the ICC for the same reason. Additionally, the PCB demanded that India tour Bangladesh this year, a request that was once more rejected by the ICC, citing that the matter was outside its domain.
