Mohsin Naqvi and Pakistan attacked as Sri Lanka Cricket launches war amid T20 World Cup row

In the effort to make relationships with Bangladesh smoother, Pakistan is reportedly hurting the feelings of another country, which is Sri Lanka.

Boycotting the India vs Pakistan match on February 15 in Colombo will not only damage the International Cricket Council's (ICC) revenue but will also reduce the earnings of Sri Lanka and negatively affect other nations' financial side, as the India vs Pakistan match is considered the most highly revenue-generating fixture in the T20 World Cup 2026.

SLC wrote to Pakistan to rethink about their decision

The match is scheduled to be held in Colombo on February 15. ICC already urged Mohsin Naqvi to lead the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to reconsider their decision to skip the high-profile match.

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Now, according to fresh media reports, the Sri Lanka Cricket board (SLC) put itself in the discussion with PCB to discuss the possible situation if they remain firm on their boycott call.

According to a report published by Cricbuzz, Naqvi recently handed important finance and development committee positions at the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) to Bangladesh and the UAE’s cricket boards, leaving the island nation empty-handed.

Since then, the relationship between Naqvi and SLC might not be on the same note. Though SLC never reacted to the ACC matter, they reportedly expressed their dissatisfaction regarding Pakistan's decision to avoid their clash with India.

Pakistan's boycott call can harm Sri Lanka's economy

According to a report by TNIE, to convince Pakistan, the SLC also wrote to the Pakistan Cricket Board a couple of days ago, urging them to change their decision, as it will not only hurt the Lankan cricket but also the country's economy.

The Cricket T20 World Cup 2026, especially the India vs Pakistan match, will be helpful for Sri Lanka's economic growth through various aspects, such as tourism. If the match does not take place, then the nation's economy may take a massive hit.

"Yes, we have written a letter to the PCB. We tried to highlight things we have done for Pakistan cricket in their difficult times in the past. We expressed our concerns over their decision, as all the preparations have been done here for the match," Bandula Dissanayake, secretary of SLC, said.

"We categorically told them that not only Sri Lanka cricket but we as a country are losing because of this decision. They are hurting our nation's economy. It will hurt tourism here in the country. Our economy will take a hit because of this one decision."

A major role to bring Pakistan in a respectable position

It is necessary to remember last year's cricket team of the island nation tour to Pakistan despite the explosion by a suicide bomber that killed several in Islamabad hours before the ODI match between the two countries in Rawalpindi.

It was reported that multiple Sri Lankan players wanted to leave Pakistan immediately, but the SLC forced them to stay there and play the matches according to the original fixtures.

Sri Lanka's tour to Pakistan gained more traction because of the 2009 incident. When the bus carrying the touring team players in Lahore came under terrorist attack. Six players got wounded in the attack that killed six police officers and two civilians.

According to reports, the SLC highlighted all their efforts to strengthen their relationship with Pakistan in their letter amid the boycott controversy. SLC is also angry at Mohsin Naqvi because he recently handed crucial roles at ACC to UAE and Bangladesh officials, leaving them empty-handed.

Read More: Ishant Sharma reveals players suffering amid India-Pakistan controversy