Jay Shah-led ICC calls emergency meeting to KILL Pakistan cricket forever amid T20 World Cup chaos

The tension rises as doubts loom over the India vs Pakistan match for the 2026 T20 World Cup. Pakistan has been given the signal to feature in the upcoming major event scheduled in India and Sri Lanka. However, their national government and the cricket board are on the same line of boycotting the India vs Pakistan match. The match is scheduled to take place on February 15th.

Amidst this, the International Cricket Council (ICC) is set to hold a high-level emergency meeting within the next 48 hours to discuss the Pakistan government’s decision to bar the Men in Green from playing against India. As per the reports in NDTV, it is scheduled for a meeting that could significantly change the shape of world cricket. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) could potentially face isolation and sanctions depending on the outcome.

ICC and PCB are not on the same line

There have been tensions between PCB and ICC after Bangladesh was removed from the T20 World Cup, after the governing body rejected their request to shift matches from India to Sri Lanka, citing security reasons. Pakistan government delayed its participation announcement in the World Cup and finally gave the green light on Sunday. However, their selected participation has not gone down well with the leading cricket body.

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The global cricketing body on the matter released a statement, “While the ICC respects the roles of governments in matters of national policy, this decision is not in the interest of the global game or the welfare of fans worldwide, including millions in Pakistan. The ICC hopes that the PCB will consider the significant and long-term implications for cricket in its own country as this is likely to impact the global cricket ecosystem, which it is itself a member and beneficiary of.

“The ICC’s priority remains the successful delivery of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup which should also be the responsibility of all its members including the PCB. It expects the PCB to explore a mutually acceptable resolution, which protects the interests of all stakeholders.”

Pakistan to face ban?

There have been no answers to this, and this has been the reason for the sudden announcement of the meeting. According to the PTI report, Pakistan could face multiple sanctions, with penalties ranging from financial losses to a freeze on issuing No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) for overseas players participating in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

From the docking of the World Test Championship (WTC) points, impact on the rankings, and top cricket-playing nations refusing to tour Pakistan for a bilateral series. In case of extreme conditions, there might be a suspension of the entire T20 World Cup. The upcoming meeting will address all the following controversies surrounding the marquee encounter.

India vs Pakistan key to revenue

Pakistan is set to feature on the opening day of the fixture, facing the Netherlands on February 7th. The India vs Pakistan match is one of the crucial encounters and the most-watched matches of the competition. As the match can generate a revenue of INR 200 crore to INR 250 crore, almost double in comparison to other fixtures. The global cricket body might bear a loss if this match does not take place.

Also Read: BCCI breaks silence on Pakistan boycotting India match in T20 World Cup 2026