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Published : 24 Jan 2026, 08:22 PM
Pakistan’s involvement in the T20 World Cup hangs in the balance after board Chairman Mohsin Naqvi indicated that a final decision would be made only following consultation with the government, ESPNcricinfo reports.
His remarks came in the immediate aftermath of the ICC’s formal removal of Bangladesh from the tournament, a decision prompted by their refusal to play matches in India, the report said on Saturday.
Naqvi lambasted the ICC for what he described as “double standards” favouring India and termed Bangladesh’s exclusion “an injustice”.
“Our stance [on World Cup participation] will be what the government of Pakistan instructs me,” Naqvi was quoted as saying.
“The prime minister is not in Pakistan right now. When he returns, I’ll be able to give you our final decision. It’s the government’s decision. We obey them, not the ICC,” he added.
Over the past week, Pakistan has backed Bangladesh in their dispute with the ICC over relocating their T20 World Cup matches outside India.
At a recent ICC meeting, the PCB was reportedly the only board to support Bangladesh’s position, according to ESPNcricinfo.
While the tournament is co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, all of Bangladesh’s games were scheduled in India.
The BCB cited security concerns after the BCCI instructed Kolkata Knight Riders to release Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL 2026 squad on Jan 3, a decision coinciding with worsening India-Bangladesh relations.
Despite repeated appeals, the ICC refused to accommodate Bangladesh’s request, issuing an ultimatum to accept the original schedule or face removal.
On Saturday, with Bangladesh holding firm, the ICC confirmed their replacement by Scotland, ESPNcricinfo reported.
Naqvi was scathing in his criticism: “I think Bangladesh has been hard done by. You can’t have double standards. You can’t say for one country [India] they can do whatever they want and for the others to have to do the complete opposite.
“That’s why we’ve taken this stand and made clear that Bangladesh have had an injustice done to them. They should play in the World Cup; they are a major stakeholder in cricket,” he said.
Local reports suggest Pakistan might refuse to participate in solidarity with Bangladesh, though the PCB has not confirmed this, the report added.
“If the government of Pakistan says we mustn’t play, then maybe the ICC will bring in a 22nd team (after Scotland). It’s up to the government,” Naqvi added.
Pakistan, scheduled to play all their games in Sri Lanka following a prior deal with the ICC and BCCI, are set to open the tournament against the Netherlands on Feb 7.
