After a day of frenzied press releases through Monday evening, the showpiece India–Pakistan clash was officially back on, with Colombo set to buzz on Sunday as it hosts the much-awaited Group A encounter. However, former Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Hafeez laid the blame squarely on the International Cricket Council (ICC) for triggering the chaos around world cricket’s commercial centrepiece, which had nearly culminated in Pakistan formally boycotting the match. Hafeez demanded accountability over what he described as the ICC’s mishandling of the Bangladesh situation.
The turmoil stemmed from the ICC’s decision to remove Bangladesh from the T20 World Cup. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) failed to secure government clearance to send the team to India for the group-stage matches, citing security concerns, and subsequently requested that the fixtures be shifted to Sri Lanka. The ICC rejected the proposal, and after weeks of deadlocked negotiations — with the BCB unwilling to revise its position — Bangladesh were eventually replaced by Scotland.
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Pakistan reacted angrily to the decision and, citing what it termed “unfair” treatment of Bangladesh, threatened to boycott its marquee clash against India. While the ICC warned of potential sanctions if the boycott was made official, the PCB held firm on its stance.
The impasse was eventually resolved following a meeting with an ICC delegation and sustained pressure from several member boards. The PCB softened its position and reversed the decision, with confirmation coming from the Pakistan government shortly after the ICC released a statement expressing regret over Bangladesh’s “unfortunate absence” from the World Cup. The ICC also assured that no sanctions would be imposed on Bangladesh and revealed that the country would be awarded hosting rights for a men’s Under-19 World Cup in 2031.
{{/usCountry}}The impasse was eventually resolved following a meeting with an ICC delegation and sustained pressure from several member boards. The PCB softened its position and reversed the decision, with confirmation coming from the Pakistan government shortly after the ICC released a statement expressing regret over Bangladesh’s “unfortunate absence” from the World Cup. The ICC also assured that no sanctions would be imposed on Bangladesh and revealed that the country would be awarded hosting rights for a men’s Under-19 World Cup in 2031.
{{/usCountry}}Speaking on the Game On Hai show on a Pakistani television channel, Hafeez was scathing in his assessment of the ICC’s statement, calling on the governing body to admit that its handling of the Bangladesh issue was a “total failure.”
“What was the conclusion of the politics played with the sport over the last two or three weeks?” Hafeez asked. “First, we must look at the pain caused to cricket fans all over the world — whether they are Bangladeshi fans, England supporters or Pakistan fans. Everyone was hurt by this decision. My only question is: who was wrong?
“Someone was at fault, yet it wasn’t disclosed whose mistake it was. Compensation is being given, but on what basis? If it’s based on a mistake, why wasn’t it admitted? Later, they say they are taking decisions to protect ‘integrity and spirit’. Where were these claims before? Why did it even reach this point?”
Hafeez went on to accuse the ICC of failing to hold individuals accountable.
“This is a total failure of the ICC and their administration, and it must be accepted first,” he said. “Whether Bangladesh gets compensation, a tournament or protection from sanctions is fine. But the individual who played the wrong role must be exposed. If they remain hidden, these situations will happen again. Unless a mistake is acknowledged and accepted, there can be no improvement. Even now, I don’t understand who was at fault.”
Despite his criticism, the former all-rounder expressed relief and happiness that the India–Pakistan match would go ahead.
“In my opinion, whatever happened was not good for cricket,” Hafeez said. “When it comes to India versus Pakistan, I am always in favor of the match being played. This rivalry inspires the entire cricketing world. I hope this game happens — and not just this one. I want India–Pakistan matches to take place regularly.”