COLOMBO (Kashmir English): Sri Lanka has appealed to Pakistan to reconsider its decision to boycott the match against India in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

According to foreign media reports, Sri Lanka Cricket has formally written a letter to the PCB, pointing out that the cancellation of the high-voltage match scheduled for February 15 in Colombo between the two arch-rivals will cause significant financial losses for Sri Lanka Cricket.

According to the report, the Sri Lankan board’s statement said that any non-participation will have far-reaching consequences, including significant financial losses to Sri Lanka Cricket and a reduction in expected tourism revenue.

Sri Lanka Cricket’s letter states that all preparations for the Pakistan-India match have been completed, including the sale of match tickets.

According to Sri Lankan media, Pakistan’s boycott announcement has affected Sri Lanka’s tourism sector, with a large number of fans canceling hotel bookings due to the boycott.

Sri Lanka Cricket’s letter said that Sri Lanka Cricket has supported the Pakistan Cricket Board in difficult times.

Sri Lankan board’s statement requested the Pakistan Cricket Board to keep in mind the extraordinary circumstances, the long-standing relationship between our two boards, and the wider interest of cricket, in mind.

According to Sri Lankan media, in this context, Sri Lanka Cricket has demanded a review of the decision from Pakistan. Sri Lankan media says that Sri Lanka has assured the best security arrangements for all matches.

According to sources, other cricket boards have also asked Pakistan not to boycott and to reconsider the decision.

Indian broadcasters to suffer huge losses

Pakistan has allowed the national team to participate in the T20 World Cup, but in solidarity with Bangladesh, the Pakistani side will not take the field in the scheduled match against India on February 15, which is feared to cause heavy losses to Indian broadcasters.

The Pakistan-India cricket match is considered the biggest sporting event in the world. According to the reports, Pakistan’s refusal to play against India is feared to cause Indian broadcasters a loss of approximately 500 million dollars (141 billion rupees), while the ICC is likely to lose millions of dollars from the match’s gate money.

T20 World Cup revenue

According to rough estimates, half of the revenue from the T20 World Cup comes from the Pakistan-India match.

Pakistan receives a share of 35 million dollars from the ICC every year. After the broadcasters’ loss, the PCB may also face legal action from the ICC.

Despite not playing the match against India, Pakistan’s chances of qualifying for the second round are bright.

According to government sources, the main reason for boycotting the match against India is the ICC’s biased decision regarding Bangladesh.

It should be noted that the Bangladesh Cricket Board had refused to send its team to India due to security concerns during the T20 World Cup starting in India and Sri Lanka on February 7, after which Pakistan supported Bangladesh’s stance.

However, the ICC did not accept the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s stance and replaced Bangladesh with Scotland in the T20 World Cup 2026.

Pakistan has adopted a strong stance on the ICC’s India-friendly policies and the exclusion of Bangladesh from the tournament.