No thaw yet but cautious optimism over Pakistan's stance on India game

There has been no tangible resolution to the Pakistan crisis, five days after the Pakistan government announced a boycott of the India game in the T20 World Cup, but developments over the last 24 hours may be providing hopes of a potential thaw. World cricket managers are still not ready to declare that there will be a positive outcome to the crisis, but are cautiously optimistic that Pakistan may relent from its no-India-game stance.

As reported on Wednesday, some sort of back-channel parleys between the officials of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) are believed to be under way to hammer out a solution to the February 15 issue, when the arch-rivals are scheduled to face each other in Colombo. ICC Deputy Chair Imran Khwaja seems to be involved in the talks.

While the efforts of cajoling and coercing the PCB to fall in line were going on, given that huge consequences could follow otherwise, there were also, simultaneously, steps in coaxing the board through quieter means. Sources say efforts are under way to give the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) an honourable face-saver so that it can reverse its stance from the extreme position it took of not playing against India.

There is also information that Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has chipped in by joining the effort. It is learnt that SLC chairman Shammi Silva has written to the PCB, highlighting the huge losses that SLC and the country could incur in the event of a Pakistan boycott. It has also been made clear to the PCB that there would be significant financial implications for Sri Lanka's tourism sector. The SLC also did not fail to mention that it has always stood by Pakistan in its times of crisis.

However, as per recent developments in the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), there has not been much love lost between the two boards. Sources say the ACC, under PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi, denied an important finance committee position to Sri Lanka Cricket. In fact, two key finance and development committee positions went to the UAE and Bangladesh boards with nothing to the SLC .

However, it may need more effort to bring Pakistan back on board. Its Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, declared only 24 hours ago that Pakistan would not play India as a mark of solidarity with Bangladesh, whose request to relocate their games out of India was rejected by the ICC.

"We have taken a very clear stand on the T20 World Cup that we won't play the match against India because Pakistan said this is a field of sports, not politics. There should be no politics on the sports field. We have taken a very considered stance, and we should completely stand by Bangladesh, and I think this is a very appropriate decision," Sharif was widely quoted as saying in the media.

Whether Pakistan will eventually make a climbdown from such a position remains a matter of conjecture, but sources within the ICC board say serious efforts are underway. ICC chair Jay Shah and CEO Sanjog Gupta, meanwhile, are believed to have left Milan, where they had gone for an IOC session. Both are expected to be in Mumbai for the first World Cup game at the Wankhede on Saturday, when hosts India take on the US. Greater clarity may emerge by then.