As Pakistan reversed its stand on playing India in the T20 World Cup, PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi’s reference to Asim Munir added a political and civil–military dimension to the cricket dispute
Pakistan’s India Match U-turn How Asim Munir’s Name Entered the Picture (Source: Instagram)
T20 World Cup 2026: Minutes after the Government of Pakistan officially announced its decision, the International Cricket Council (ICC) released a statement reaffirming its commitment, along with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), to the smooth conduct of the ongoing Men’s T20 World Cup being jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka. The ICC also referred to its recent engagement with PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi, noting that a two-member ICC delegation met him at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday, underscoring continued dialogue during the standoff.
Late Monday night, the Pakistan government reversed its earlier position and confirmed that the senior men’s team would play India on February 15 in Colombo. The decision followed weeks of uncertainty marked by boycott threats and prolonged negotiations involving the government, the ICC, and several international cricket boards.
The confirmation came shortly after PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi publicly dismissed suggestions that Pakistan had acted under pressure from India or the ICC. His remarks, made just hours before the final announcement, triggered fresh controversy at a time when the deadlock had yet to be resolved.
Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan’s interior minister, brought the country’s military leadership into the debate, a move analysts saw as an attempt to elevate the issue beyond cricket. Speaking at a press conference on February 15, Naqvi insisted that Pakistan would not bow to external pressure.
“Neither am I intimidated by the threats from India and the ICC, nor is the Government of Pakistan, and as for Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, you already know about him, he never gets afraid,” Naqvi said.
Field Marshal Asim Munir is one of Pakistan’s most influential military figures in recent years. In May 2025, following heightened border tensions with India after Operation Sindoor, Pakistan’s cabinet promoted General Munir to Field Marshal, the highest military rank in the country and only the second such promotion after Ayub Khan.
Operation Sindoor was launched by India on May 7, 2025, after a deadly terror attack in the Pahalgam region of Jammu and Kashmir. The operation targeted terror camps linked to groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The strikes led to four days of intense military exchanges before both sides agreed to pause hostilities.
While Indian officials later challenged Pakistan’s version of events on international platforms, Islamabad continued to project Munir’s role as a symbol of national resolve during the crisis.
Senior government officials quoted by local media said Naqvi’s reference to Field Marshal Munir was not casual rhetoric. They described it as a calculated move indicating that the dispute had moved beyond sport and into the sphere of state authority and civil–military positioning.
Despite its earlier firm position, the PCB eventually reversed course following consultations led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif with multiple stakeholders, including cricket boards from Sri Lanka, the UAE, and Bangladesh. The government subsequently directed the national team to take the field against India as scheduled.
An official government statement said the decision was taken after multilateral discussions and requests from “friendly countries,” and was aimed at preserving the continuity and spirit of international cricket.
The ICC later confirmed that its mediation meetings in Lahore with PCB and Bangladesh Cricket Board officials were “open, constructive and congenial.” The global body added that no penalties would be imposed on Bangladesh in connection with the wider participation dispute.
