Former Pakistan skipper Asif Iqbal remains hopeful that the India-Pakistan T20 World Cup match scheduled for February 15 in Colombo will be played. Pakistan recently said that they will boycott the Group A clash in Colombo.

“I’m still hopeful that good sense will prevail and the India-Pakistan match will be played as scheduled,” Iqbal told mid-day. Iqbal was surprised at how the issue has escalated and blamed it on a “lack of communication”, adding that “any problem can be resolved if both parties engage in a dialogue.” Iqbal warned that the arch-rivals not facing each other would deal a blow to cricket’s popularity. “Not many nations play cricket and if India and Pakistan don’t play against each other, the popularity of the game will take a jolt,” he said.