Tripartite meet in Lahore over India-Pakistan game

A meeting is scheduled in Lahore for later Sunday between officials of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on the vexing issue of Pakistan's participation in the February 15 match against India. Likely to be present in the meeting will be Bangladesh, who have been invited by the PCB. Aminul Islam, president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), is representing the country in the tripartite conclave for which a couple of the ICC officials are reportedly on the way.

The involvement of Bangladesh is not hard to discern, since the entire Twenty20 World Cup row started after the BCB sought a change of venue for Litton Das's side, stating that they were not safe in India. Although that request was turned down by the ICC and Scotland replaced Bangladesh, Pakistan took a stance expressing solidarity with them and vowed not to play the India game in Colombo in protest.

As reported by Cricbuzz on Saturday, the Pakistan move has snowballed into a larger issue with the invocation of the rare Force Majeure clause, the legitimacy of which was resoundingly rejected by the ICC. Facing the prospect of heavy financial losses and potential sanctions for not playing the India game - thereby dishonouring the Members Participation Agreement - the PCB has come to the negotiating table.

How the meeting will turn out remains a matter of conjecture, but the development is a sign that the Pakistan team is reconsidering its stance on the big Colombo fixture. The move has already drawn criticism from Sri Lanka, which has outlined the huge financial losses the country could incur in the tourism and hospitality sectors due to a boycott. Sri Lanka also reminded Pakistan of the period when it faced an international boycott and how the Sri Lanka cricket team helped bring international cricket back to Pakistan.

According to unverified information, the PCB is demanding an increased share of ICC revenue, the restoration of bilateral cricket with India (which, incidentally, is not under the ICC's purview), and enforcement of the handshake protocols in the game (again, this would be up to the individual teams, as shaking hands is not mandatory). Bangladesh, replaced in the World Cup, may also seek some compensation. How valid or acceptable their demands will be known soon.

Pakistan was forced to seek a dialogue after the ICC called their bluff when they resorted to invoking the Force Majeure clause. The ICC questioned the legitimacy of the move, citing the evidentiary threshold required for non-participation. It also outlined the sporting, commercial, and governance implications of Pakistan's potential boycott of the India game.

At the same time, the ICC kept the doors open for negotiations while making clear that selective participation in the World Cup will not be acceptable as the sanctity of the tournament is paramount for it.