“Following multilateral discussions as well as requests from friendly countries, the Government of Pakistan directs the Pakistan national cricket team to take the field on February 15,” the Islamabad government said on its official X account late on Monday.
It said the decision was taken with the aim of “protecting the spirit of cricket”.
Former India cricketer Madan Lal told AFP on Tuesday it was “good for cricket”.
“We want strong teams to play so that the World Cup doesn’t lose its charm,” he said.
Sri Lanka, which hosts the match and earns millions of dollars from advertising, broadcasting rights, sponsorship and tourism, also praised the decision.
Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in a social media post thanked Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for “ensuring that the game we all love continues”.
“Good sentiment prevailed on all sides,” veteran Indian journalist Pradeep Magazine told AFP.
Financial aspects would have been taken into consideration, he said.
“Everyone realized that the loss of revenue from the India-Pakistan match would have been a loss-making situation for all ICC member countries.”