Sri Lanka urge Pakistan to reconsider India game boycott

Sri Lanka's cricket board on Thursday asked Pakistan to reconsider its decision to boycott their first-round encounter with arch-rival India in the T20 World Cup co-hosted by the island.

Pakistan decided not to play India on February 15 in Colombo to express solidarity with Bangladesh, who were excluded from the tournament after refusing to play their matches in India.

Pakistan and India have not played bilateral cricket for more than a decade and meet only at global or regional tournament events.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) told the Pakistan Cricket Board that a boycott would result in a financial hit and also hurt the island's tourism industry, which is still recovering from the 2022 economic meltdown.

"Any non-participation will have wide-ranging implications, including substantial financial exposure for SLC and the potential loss of anticipated tourism inflows," the board said.

It recalled that Sri Lanka had toured Pakistan to express solidarity and revive international matches there when other nations stayed away due to security concerns.

"We urge you to take into account the exceptional circumstances, the enduring relationship between our two boards, and the broader interests of the game of cricket," Sri Lanka Cricket said pleading with Pakistan to play their scheduled match against India.

India start the T20 World Cup on home soil against the US on Saturday. Pakistan play their first match of the tournament, also on Saturday, in Colombo against the Netherlands.

Despite Pakistan's boycott of their scheduled match against India on February 15 in Colombo, the arch-rivals may be forced to play each other if they reach the knockout stage.

If Pakistan were to face India in a semifinal or final, they would consult their government, Pakistan skipper Salman Agha said on Thursday.