After boycott drama, Mohsin Naqvi Naqvi holds urgent meeting with Pakistan squad ahead of IND vs PAK clash

Pakistan Cricket Board chief Mohsin Naqvi met with the country's national cricket team ahead of the high-octane clash against arch-rivals India in Colombo on Sunday. Naqvi, who also serves as the interior minister in the Pakistan government, had earlier been the catalyst for Pakistan's decision to boycott the India clash and later also requested the Prime Minister to change his mind on the decision that ended a week-long drama.

In a video that is going viral on social media, Naqvi is seen hugging various Pakistan players including Babar Azam, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, skipper Salman Ali Agha along with coach Mike Hesson. During the meeting, other notable PCB luminaries like PCB Chief Operating Officer Sameer Ahmed and PSL CEO Salman Naseer were also present.

After the one-on-one meeting with players, Naqvi was seen addressing them collectively ahead of the big clash.

“During the T20 World Cup, Pakistan is playing all its matches here in Sri Lanka. As our gracious host, Sri Lanka deserves our utmost respect and appreciation,” Naqvi said on the ties with Sri Lanka.

Notably, the Sri Lankan government was among the list of countries that had requested Pakistan to reverse its stance on the boycott of the India match. Naqvi later said in an interaction that the aim of the Pakistan government was to ‘get Bangladesh some respect’.

Meanwhile, as per a report by PTI, Naqvi has gone to the match between India and Pakistan to have discussions with ICC Chairman Jay Shah and other officials on the sidelines of the clash.

"The Sri Lankan board has invited officials from other boards as well but the reason for Naqvi going is to have discussions with ICC Chairman Jay Shah and other officials on the sidelines to break the ice after the boycott fiasco," the report quoted a source as saying.

The report noted that top sources from the Indian and Bangladesh boards will also be present in Colombo for the clash between the arch-rivals. It added that Naqvi had met with PM Shehbaz Sharif before leaving Pakistan and discussed the policy regarding the ICC and its relations with fellow boards.

Naqvi will reportedly be in a position to have ‘productive’ talks in Colombo since he has already gotten clearance from Sharif.