Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi on Sunday met his Bangladesh counterpart Aminul Islam and ICC vice-chairman Imran Khoja in Lahore as efforts continue to resolve the standoff over Pakistan’s proposed boycott of the T20 World Cup match against India.
The meeting, footage of which was published by the KSP, took place at the Gaddafi Stadium.
Khoja arrived in Lahore for talks with PCB officials amid growing signs that the impasse over the high-profile clash between India and Pakistan on February 15 in Colombo could be resolved, allowing the match to continue.
Hoxha, who represents Singapore on the ICC, is an influential figure on the governing body and has voting rights on the board of directors as an associate member director.
A source close to the PCB confirmed that Khoja has been appointed by the ICC board as mediator on the controversial issue.
“He has been in talks with Mohsin Naqvi for some time now and he will arrive in Lahore today to first talk to the PCB chief as well as Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Aminul Islam,” the source said.
Aminul is expected to take part in discussions aimed at convincing Pakistan to reconsider its decision not to play India in the World Cup.
The two officials, Hoxha and Aminul, were met at the airport by senior PCB officials and then taken to the Gaddafi Stadium.
A PCB source said that Khwaja and Aminul, after discussions with Naqvi, will hold a meeting with some ICC board members virtually later on Sunday.
The source added that the ICC is trying its best to convince the PCB to get permission from the government for the February 15 match.
Aminul reached Lahore before Khwaja. The dispute between the PCB and the ICC began when the apex body replaced Bangladesh with Scotland after Bangladesh refused to host World Cup matches in India citing security concerns.
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif recently said Pakistan’s decision not to play against India was taken in solidarity with Bangladesh, whose request to move matches from India to Sri Lanka was rejected by the ICC.
Naqvi did not comment much on the government’s instructions to boycott the match in India, but a reliable source said that the situation changed after the Sri Lanka Cricket Board emailed the PCB urging them to end the boycott.
ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta also visited Colombo to meet Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) president Shammi Silva, who emailed Naqvi to play the match in India in the World Cup.
The ICC has sought an explanation from Pakistan on how the “force majeure” clause can be used to justify a team’s refusal to play after the PCB tried to blame its government.
“There is now a glimmer of hope as the PCB has approached the ICC for discussions,” the ICC director said, expressing optimism that a showdown will eventually take place.
The ICC is engaging with the Board of Directors to explore possible solutions, taking into account that the interests of the game must prevail over unilateral actions. Sri Lanka Cricket has warned the PCB to reconsider its decision, citing huge financial losses for all stakeholders.
The reason for Bangladesh’s withdrawal was the release of their player Mustafizur Rahman from the KKR squad on the instructions of the BCCI.