Pakistan’s participation in the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup has been thrown into uncertainty after Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi indicated that the final decision will depend
on the stance taken by the country’s government.
Naqvi’s comments come in the wake of Bangladesh being removed from the tournament following its refusal to play matches scheduled in India. Reacting to the development, the PCB chief questioned the International Cricket Council’s handling of the situation and expressed concern over what he described as a lack of consistency in dealing with member nations.
Speaking to the media, Naqvi said the PCB would not act independently on the matter and would align its position with the government of Pakistan. He emphasised that Pakistan’s leadership would carefully assess the implications of Bangladesh’s exclusion before taking a call on whether the national team should travel for the global event.
The PCB chairman also voiced support for Bangladesh, stating that forcing a team out of a major tournament over venue-related disagreements raised serious governance questions. He suggested that Pakistan had multiple contingency plans in place, indicating that no option had been ruled out at this stage.
Pakistan’s stance has added another layer of complexity to an already tense build-up to the T20 World Cup, which is set to begin next month across India and Sri Lanka. While preparations for the tournament continue elsewhere, the uncertainty surrounding two major Asian teams has sparked widespread debate within the cricketing fraternity.
With official confirmation still pending, the spotlight now shifts to diplomatic and administrative discussions off the field, even as the ICC faces increasing scrutiny over how it manages participation disputes in high-profile global events.
