- PCB chairman says final decision rests with Pakistan Government
- ICC accused of double standards following Bangladesh’s removal
- Pakistan scheduled to play all matches in Sri Lanka
Pakistan’s participation in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 has been thrown into uncertainty after Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi said the final call would be taken only after consultations with the Pakistan Government, following the ICC’s decision to remove Bangladesh from the tournament. Speaking after Bangladesh were officially ousted for refusing to play matches in India, Naqvi described the ICC’s stance as “unjust” and accused the governing body of operating with double standards.
Naqvi said the PCB would abide strictly by government instructions, stressing that the matter was now beyond the board’s control. He added that Pakistan had stood firmly behind Bangladesh throughout the dispute, and was the only ICC member to openly support the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) request for a venue outside India due to security concerns.
“You can’t have one rule for one country and another rule for everyone else,” Naqvi said, calling Bangladesh a “major stakeholder” unfairly excluded from the global event.
Bangladesh were removed after the ICC rejected repeated requests to relocate their matches from India, despite formal communication from the BCB citing safety concerns following strained diplomatic relations. With Bangladesh refusing to accept the original schedule, the ICC issued an ultimatum earlier this week before confirming Scotland as their replacement on Saturday (24).
While reports have suggested Pakistan could boycott the tournament in solidarity, the PCB has stopped short of confirming such a move. Pakistan are currently scheduled to play all their matches in Sri Lanka, including the tournament opener against the Netherlands on February 7 and a high-profile group clash against India on February 15 in Colombo. Whether those fixtures go ahead now hinges on the Pakistani Government’s decision in the coming days.
