BCCI vice president Rajeev Shukla on Monday said the International Cricket Council was right to warn Pakistan over its decision to skip the T20 World Cup match against India. The match is scheduled for February 15 in Colombo.
Pakistan informed the ICC of its decision through an official government statement. The move is being seen as a political protest. It is linked to Bangladesh being removed from the tournament. The ICC had earlier rejected Bangladesh’s request to move its matches from India to Sri Lanka due to security reasons.
The ICC has already warned the Pakistan Cricket Board about serious consequences. It said a boycott of such a major match could lead to punishment.
“The ICC has issued a big statement on this subject. It has highlighted element of sportsmanship. We completely agree with the ICC. BCCI will not make any comment until we speak to the ICC,” Shukla told reporters.
The issue began after Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman was dropped from the IPL. After that, Bangladesh refused to travel to India, citing security concerns.
If Pakistan do not play the match, India will get full points. However, the ICC can still fine the PCB for the boycott.
Pakistan will start their T20 World Cup campaign on February 7 against the Netherlands. They will then face the USA on February 10 and Namibia on February 18. All of Pakistan’s matches will be played at the SSC ground in Colombo.
