According to the sources, Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi is expected to meet the prime minister today to brief him on his recent discussions with an International Cricket Council delegation.
Pakistan has decided not to play against arch-rival India in solidarity with Bangladesh, which was removed from the tournament after raising security concerns and refusing to send its team to New Delhi.
A day earlier, the PCB, ICC and Bangladesh Cricket Board held talks lasting more than five hours, attended by Naqvi, BCB President Aminul Islam and ICC Deputy Chairman Imran Khwaja.
During the meeting, sources said the ICC responded positively to Bangladesh’s demands and prepared a formula to address the BCB’s grievances. Proposals were exchanged between the ICC and BCB, while the PCB played a key coordinating role.
With ICC Deputy Chairman Khwaja returning to the ICC headquarters for final approval and BCB President Islam heading back to Bangladesh to brief authorities in Dhaka, sources said a positive response had been given to Bangladesh’s concerns and a resolution framework had been developed.
Once the formula is approved, ICC and BCB officials are expected to reconnect later today to finalise the next steps.
Tensions between the cricket boards of Bangladesh and India escalated after Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman was dropped from the Indian Premier League on the instructions of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, triggering anger in Dhaka.
The BCB later asked the ICC to move its matches out of India, but the request was rejected. After Bangladesh maintained its position, the ICC replaced the team with Scotland, citing the difficulty of changing the schedule so close to the tournament’s February 7 start.
The PCB reacted strongly to the decision, accusing the ICC of bias against Bangladesh, and announced a boycott of its match against India.
Matches between India and Pakistan are considered among the most valuable fixtures in world cricket, generating millions of dollars in broadcasting, sponsorship and advertising revenue.
In commercial terms, a single India-Pakistan T20 match is estimated to be worth around $500 million, or roughly INR45,000 crore, when broadcast rights, advertising premiums, sponsorships, ticket sales and related commercial activity are included.
Reports suggest advertising slots during an India-Pakistan T20 match can cost between INR25 lakh and INR40 lakh for a 10-second spot, significantly higher than even knockout games involving India against other major teams.
Industry projections cited by Indian media estimate that advertising revenue from the India-Pakistan match alone could reach around INR300 crore for the official broadcast rights holder.
