The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Saturday categorically rejected claims by Indian sports journalist Vikrant Gupta that the board had approached the International Cricket Council (ICC) over the situation around the match between the Indian and Pakistani cricket teams.

Any clash between arch-rivals Pakistan and India is one of the most lucrative in cricket, worth millions of dollars in broadcast, sponsorship and advertising revenue. But the fixture was thrown into doubt after the federal government ordered the team not to play the match in Colombo.

Gupta claimed in a post on X today: “PCB has now reached out to ICC for a dialogue on the India-Pakistan World Cup after the ICC replied to their official communication.”

Responding to him, PCB spokesperson Amir Mir said: “I categorically reject the claim by Indian sports journalist Vikrant Gupta that PCB approached the ICC. As usual, sections of Indian media are busy circulating fiction. A little patience and time will clearly show who actually went knocking and who didn’t.”

Read More: Pakistan to seek govt nod in potential India T20 finals clash

AFP also reported that the ICC is in talks with the PCB to resolve the boycott of its T20 World Cup match against India on 15 February.

The PCB reached out to the ICC after a formal communication from the cricket world body, a source close to the developments told AFP. The ICC was seeking a resolution through dialogue and not confrontation, the source added.

The T20 World Cup 2026, scheduled to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8, is now facing renewed uncertainty as political considerations intersect with cricketing commitments. A Pakistan–India clash is traditionally the tournament’s biggest commercial draw, and Pakistan’s refusal could force the ICC to revisit scheduling or points-allocation scenarios.

Despite opting out of the India match, Pakistan’s participation in the rest of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 signals a calibrated approach rather than a full boycott, following days of speculation linked to the Bangladesh issue and regional tensions.

Also Read: ICC in talks to revive Pakistan-India T20 World Cup clash

The ICC has called on the PCB to find a mutually acceptable solution after Pakistan announced it would boycott its match against India in the main event.

In a statement, the ICC said that selective participation “is difficult to reconcile with the fundamental premise of a global sporting event” where all qualified teams are expected to compete on equal terms according to the tournament schedule. The council also noted that it is still awaiting official communication from the PCB.

“ICC tournaments are built on the principles of sporting integrity, competitiveness, consistency and fairness,” the statement said, adding that selective participation undermines the spirit and sanctity of international competitions.