The ICC T20 World Cup 2026 has also taken a new twist before the event as Pakistan has become concerned about the new events. The president of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Mohsin Naqvi has indicated that his nation is not pleased with the fact that Bangladesh was sidelined out of the tournament and he is not satisfied with the way ICC has dealt with the case.
Naqvi, who was talking on Saturday, disclosed that at present, Pakistan was not certain of its participation at the T20 World Cup. He added that the ultimate decision will be made by the government of Pakistan, and that the national team will be decided by the Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif whether they will participate in the global event or not.
The statement follows when the Bangladesh Cricket Board declined to travel to India to participate in the tournament, on the basis of security. The ICC subsequently denied the request of Bangladesh to shift its matches to Sri Lanka and later substituted it with Scotland national cricket team in the world cup squad.
Since the controversy started, Pakistan has been in full support of Bangladesh. Naqvi clarified that PCB is of the opinion that Bangladesh could not be left out and the ICC ought to have colonized other options. Nevertheless, he also recognized that Pakistan is not alone in switching the situation and had to wait until its government provides direction.
A notable fact is that Pakistan is not able to raise security concerns on its part, since it is all to play in Sri Lanka in the tournament through the hybrid hosting model. This notwithstanding, the PCB has opted to maintain its stand and requirement to participate is pegged on diplomatic consent instead of logistics.
The 2026 T20 world cup will start on the 7th of February. Pakistan have been grouped among the A group consisting of India, United States, Netherlands and Namibia. The much looked forward match of the tournament -India vs Pakistan is planned on February 15 in Colombo.
T20 World Cup 2026 Groups
Group A: India, Pakistan, USA, Netherlands, Namibia.
Group B: Sri Lanka, Australia, Zimbabwe, Oman, and Ireland.
Group C: England, West Indies, Scotland, Italy, Nepal.
Group D: New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, Afghanistan, and United Arab Emirates.
As the choice to participate in cricketing has now been politicized, it is unclear what is the ultimate decision of Pakistan. The next few days will be the most important to establish whether PCB will stick to its position or affirm that it will take part in the marquee tournament.