PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi briefs PM Shehbaz on recent developments regarding T20 World Cup, no authentic report of meeting comes, decision gets delayed, chaos in world cricket
By Asghar Ali Mubarak
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi said on Monday that a final decision on Pakistan’s participation in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 would be taken either on Friday or next Monday.
Naqvi made the remarks after meeting Prime Minister Shehbaz in Islamabad, where he briefed him on Pakistan’s stance regarding the tournament. Taking to X, Naqvi said the prime minister had directed that all options remain on the table. “It was agreed that the final decision will be taken either on Friday or next Monday,” he added.
The meeting follows reports of a potential boycott by Pakistan, after the International Cricket Council (ICC) rejected the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) request to move their games outside India. The BCB had sought the venue change after Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman was removed from the Indian Premier League (IPL) on the Indian cricket board’s instructions, sparking outrage in Bangladesh.
However, the ICC replaced Bangladesh with Scotland in the tournament on Saturday, citing the logistical challenge of changing the schedule so close to the February 7 start. The ICC said the decision was based on the absence of any “credible or verifiable security threat” to the Bangladesh team in India.
Relations between Bangladesh and India have been tense in recent months, with political friction following protests in Bangladesh that led former prime minister Sheikh Hasina to flee to New Delhi. The tensions have spilled over into cricket. Mustafizur Rahman’s IPL exclusion prompted Bangladesh to ban IPL broadcasts in the country and demand that their World Cup matches be moved to Sri Lanka.
The standoff echoes earlier disputes in South Asian cricket. For the Champions Trophy last year, India refused to tour Pakistan due to strained political ties, limiting matches between the neighbors to ICC events.
Similarly, for the 2023 Asia Cup in Pakistan, a “hybrid model” allowed India to play Champions Trophy matches in Dubai to salvage the tournament. Under an agreement running until 2027, Pakistan is expected to play at neutral venues for ICC events, including the T20 World Cup, where its matches are scheduled in Sri Lanka.
#WC2026 #T20WorldCup #WorldCricket #PakistanCricket #PCB #MohsinNaqvi #ShehbazSharif #ICC #ICCT20WorldCup #CricketPolitics #CricketNews #BreakingCricket #SouthAsianCricket #IndiaBangladesh #PakistanVsWorld #NeutralVenue #HybridModel #IPLControversy #MustafizurRahman #BangladeshCricket #IndiaCricket #CricketDiplomacy #SportsPolitics #GlobalCricket #CricketUpdates #CricketFans #CricketLovers #CricketDebate #TrendingNow #ViralNews
