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Imran Khwaja, ICC deputy chairman, is mediating the Pakistan boycott threat for the India clash on the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Imran Khwaja (right) arriving in Pakistan to mediate talks with the PCB amid the 2026 T20 WC fiasco (PCB Media/X)
When the ICC needs a quiet fixer — someone who can speak to power without inflaming it — Imran Khwaja is the name that keeps coming up.
On the centre of the storm surrounding the proposed Pakistan boycott of the India clash on the 2026 T20 World Cup, Khwaja has once more been pushed into the highlight.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi meets with BCB President Aminul Islam and ICC Deputy Chairman Imran Khwaja at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore to debate the Pakistan–India T20 World Cup row.pic.twitter.com/nWaCO9IynwPakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi…— Sri Lanka Tweet 🇱🇰 (@SriLankaTweet) February 8, 2026
With the Pakistan government signalling it doesn’t want its team to face India within the February 15 group match in Colombo, the ICC has turned to its deputy chair to regular the ship and salvage cricket’s biggest rivalry.
A Neutral Voice in a Political Storm
Khwaja, a Singapore Cricket Association representative and long-time ICC powerbroker, is viewed internally as a rare neutral — respected across Full and Associate members, trusted by administrators from each the subcontinent and beyond.
His temporary is easy, but politically fraught: engage in back-channel talks with the Pakistan Cricket Board and discover a solution to keep India vs Pakistan on the World Cup schedule.
The Power Behind the Boardroom Door
A lawyer by occupation, the 64-year-old has been a part of the ICC’s inner circle since 2008 and deputy chair since 2017. He has chaired and served on a number of the organisation’s most influential committees — Finance & Business Affairs, Nominations, Membership, and Development — and was a key architect of the ICC’s modern structure, which reshaped voting power and gave Associate nations a stronger voice.
Champion of the Smaller Nations
Under Shashank Manohar’s tenure, Khwaja emerged as a driving force behind efforts to democratise the ICC board, ensuring the game’s traditional heavyweights didn’t drown out smaller nations.
As Chairman of the Associates, he became their most consistent advocate, pushing for inclusivity in governance relatively than lip service.
A Familiar Hand in Times of Transition
Khwaja has also been the ICC’s regular presence during moments of upheaval. When Manohar stepped down in 2020, he took over as interim chair, guiding the organisation through a pandemic-disrupted calendar.
Later that 12 months, he contested the chairmanship itself, losing narrowly to Greg Barclay after two rounds of voting.
Still Central to the ICC’s Future
Khwaja was re-elected as an Associate Member director on the ICC AGM in Colombo earlier this 12 months and continues to be ICC’s deputy chair — serving because the experienced counterweight beside Jay Shah.
Why He Matters Now
Now, with geopolitics threatening to derail the India–Pakistan clash, Khwaja is back doing what he does best: working quietly, mediating patiently, and attempting to keep cricket ahead of politics.
February 09, 2026, 08:24 IST
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