ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi this week threw the national cricket team’s participation in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 into doubt by saying he would seek the government’s directives on it, after the International Cricket Council (ICC) replaced Bangladesh in the tournament.
Naqvi was speaking to reporters in Lahore on Saturday shortly after the ICC announced it had replaced Bangladesh with Scotland in the T20 World Cup. The decision stemmed from Bangladesh’s refusal to play in India owing to security fears. Bangladesh had requested a venue outside India for their World Cup matches.
The demand was made owing to fresh tensions between Bangladesh and India’s cricket boards. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) told Indian Premier League franchise Kolkata Knight Riders earlier this month to drop Bangladesh’s cricketer Mustafizur Rahman due to political tensions between Dhaka and New Delhi.
Naqvi criticized the ICC for its “double standards” when it came to Bangladesh, pointing out that India and Pakistan were allowed to play against each other at neutral venues as per an earlier deal between both cricket boards and the ICC. He said Bangladesh should be allowed to play in the World Cup.
“If the government of Pakistan says we mustn’t play, then maybe the ICC will bring in a 22nd team (after Scotland),” Naqvi told reporters. “But this decision has to be taken by the government of Pakistan.”
Naqvi said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is in the United Kingdom, adding that a final decision on the matter will be taken then.
“We obey the government of Pakistan, not the ICC,” the PCB chairman said.
Pakistan play all their T20 World Cup matches in Sri Lanka, which are the co-hosts of the tournament. The T20 World Cup 2026 begins next month in India and Sri Lanka.
The Green Shirts play their first match of the tournament against Netherlands on Feb. 7. They are scheduled to play defending champions India on Feb. 15 in Colombo in their group stage clash.
