New Delhi, Feb 10 : BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla on Tuesday praised the International Cricket Council (ICC) for “finding a very good solution” that prompted Pakistan to withdraw its boycott of the T20 World Cup match against India.
The high-profile India-Pakistan match on February 15 in Colombo will go ahead as scheduled after Pakistan’s government, following persuasion from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, decided to withdraw its boycott call.
“I would like to thank the ICC chairman (Jay Shah) and its office-bearers on behalf of the BCCI for finding a very good solution. After discussions with the Pakistan Cricket Board and the Bangladesh Cricket Board, and after listening to all sides, this decision has been taken,” Shukla told reporters.
“This decision is very important for cricket. Cricket must go and the World Cup will now be a big success. This is a big achievement as far as ICC is concerned. Even Bangladesh Cricket Board has praised the ICC, so it has listened to all sides and arrived at the decision after taking into consideration the interests of everyone.
“Ultimately cricket is most important for everyone, international cricket is important for everyone,” the veteran administrator, who is also a Congress leader, added.
It was clear that Pakistan would withdraw the boycott after Bangladesh Cricket Board chief Aminul Islam issued a statement in Dhaka urging the country to take the field for the greater good of the game.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also received a call from Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who too urged him to allow the team to play the match.
The government statement came after Pakistan Cricket Board chief Mohsin Naqvi briefed Sharif about his dialogue with the ICC.
The ICC made some concessions on the issue by deciding not to impose any penalty on Bangladesh, which was forced out of the World Cup after refusing to play in India citing security concerns.
The Pakistan government’s decision to boycott the India game was in support of Bangladesh after the country was replaced by Scotland on the tournament roster. PTI
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