India vs Pakistan clash loses 'ice-breaker' angle as BCB chief pulls out of Colombo visit

Bangladesh's anti-India stance led them out of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026.

The India vs Pakistan match at the T20 World Cup 2026 hasn’t been about cricket at all. Instead, it has turned into a political drama from the very beginning. First came Bangladesh’s refusal to travel to India, then Pakistan’s boycott threat in solidarity, followed by emergency ICC meetings, government directives and backchannel diplomacy. Now, just when things appeared to be settling down, another development has emerged.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Aminul Islam, who had earlier indicated he would attend the February 15 clash in Colombo as a symbolic “ice-breaker” between Asian boards, has decided not to travel after all.

Why did Bangladesh backtrack from IND vs PAK clash?

Bangladesh have been central to the entire controversy. They initially declined to travel for their matches, citing security concerns. After the ICC rejected their relocation request, they were replaced by Scotland following a board vote. Pakistan then threatened to boycott the India game in solidarity, only to reverse course after warnings of sanctions and financial penalties. The likes of Sri Lanka and Emirates Cricket Board wrote to PCB, asking them not to boycott the IND vs PAK game.

During that phase, Aminul played a major role in the Lahore discussions that eventually led to Pakistan agreeing to play. He had even spoken about representatives from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan being present together in Colombo as a gesture to ease tensions. Bangladesh also secured an assurance from the ICC that no sanctions will be imposed on them, and they are set to host an ICC event between 2028 and 2031.

But that plan has now been shelved as per Cricbuzz. BCB officials confirmed that Aminul, who was in Kuwait for an Asian Cricket Council (ACC) meeting, opted to return to Dhaka instead of flying to Colombo. Despite receiving an official ICC invitation, he chose not to attend. “I spoke with Aminul Islam. Since Bangladesh isn’t in it, he said, ‘Why should I go there just to watch the match?’ So he refused,” BCB umpires committee chairman Iftekhar Rahman said.