Sri Lanka has urged Pakistan to reconsider its decision to boycott their first-round clash against India in the T20 World Cup, co-hosted by the island nation.
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) on Thursday formally asked the Pakistan Cricket Board to reverse the move, which would see Pakistan skip the February 15 match in Colombo. Pakistan announced the boycott in solidarity with Bangladesh, who were excluded from the tournament after refusing to play their fixtures in India.
Pakistan and India have not played bilateral cricket for over a decade, facing each other only in global or regional tournaments.
SLC warned that Pakistan’s non-participation would deal a significant financial blow and harm Sri Lanka’s tourism sector, still recovering from the 2022 economic crisis.
“Any non-participation will have wide-ranging implications, including substantial financial exposure for SLC and the potential loss of anticipated tourism inflows,” the board said.
It also reminded Pakistan that Sri Lanka had toured Pakistan during difficult times to help revive international cricket there when other teams stayed away due to security concerns.
“We urge you to take into account the exceptional circumstances, the enduring relationship between our two boards, and the broader interests of the game of cricket,” SLC said in its appeal.
India begin their T20 World Cup campaign at home against the United States on Saturday, while Pakistan open their tournament the same day in Colombo against the Netherlands.
Despite the planned boycott, the rivals could still be forced to face each other if both progress to the knockout stages. Pakistan captain Salman Agha said any potential semifinal or final clash with India would be decided after consulting the government.
