T20 World Cup 2026: Suspense Over Pakistan's Participation Continues As Mohsin Naqvi Meets PM Shehbaz Sharif

Islamabad: There is significant suspense over Pakistan's participation in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has clarified that a final decision on the matter will be made by Friday or next Monday. This statement comes after the ICC recently removed the Bangladesh team from the tournament and replaced them with Scotland. Bangladesh had refused to travel to India citing security concerns, prompting the cricket's governing body to take this drastic step.

Mohsin Naqvi, who is also Pakistan's Interior Minister, held a crucial meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday regarding this entire issue. Naqvi described the meeting as very positive and productive. After the meeting, he shared information on the social media platform X, stating that the Pakistani Prime Minister has instructed that all options remain open in this matter.

What did the PCB chief say?

In the post he shared, Mohsin Naqvi stated, "Had a productive meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. I briefed him on the entire matter related to the ICC. He instructed us to resolve this matter keeping all options open. The final decision will be taken by Friday or next Monday."

Bangladesh was scheduled to play four league matches in India during the T20 World Cup. Three of these matches were scheduled in Kolkata and one in Mumbai. However, despite several rounds of talks between the ICC and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), no agreement could be reached. The ICC had given the BCB a 24-hour ultimatum, but when the board remained adamant on its decision, the ICC finally took the drastic step of removing Bangladesh from the tournament and including Scotland. This decision not only created a stir in the cricket world but also made Pakistan's position uncomfortable.

The Pakistan Cricket Board believes that the ICC has adopted a double standard in this matter. The PCB argues that when India refused to travel to Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy, the ICC allowed India to choose an alternative venue. However, in Bangladesh's case, no such option was offered, and the team was simply disqualified.

What if Pakistan withdraws from T20 World Cup 2026?

This is why Pakistan is now taking this whole matter very seriously. If Pakistan withdraws from the 2026 T20 World Cup, it could lose a substantial participation fee. However, there is also discussion within the PCB that not playing the match against India could be more financially damaging for both India and the ICC.

Currently, all eyes are on the decision expected next week. It will be interesting to see whether the Pakistan Cricket Board chooses a path of confrontation with the ICC or if its team travels to Sri Lanka to participate in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026.