‘Pakistan may also withdraw from T20 World Cup 2026’:PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi backs Bangladesh; says, ‘Waiting for government’s decision’

The controversy surrounding Bangladesh’s participation in the ICC T20 World Cup has taken a new turn, with Pakistan now hinting at a possible withdrawal from the tournament. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi has openly criticised the International Cricket Council (ICC), accusing it of unfair treatment towards Bangladesh. Naqvi said Pakistan is waiting for a decision from its government before taking any final call on participation. Reports according to the PTI, claim that Bangladesh has been removed from the World Cup and replaced by Scotland, who will now play in Group C. However, no official confirmation has yet been issued by the ICC and the Scotland Cricket Board. With tensions rising, the future participation of both Bangladesh and Pakistan in the T20 World Cup now hangs in the balance. Mohsin Naqvi backs Bangladesh cricket ahead of T20 WC 2026 Speaking to The Dawn, PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi said, “Bangladesh was mistreated. I also raised this issue in the ICC meeting. You cannot have double standards with anyone. Here one country gets a venue of their choice, but another country is threatened with removal.” He added that Pakistan stands firmly with Bangladesh and believes they deserve to play the tournament. “Pakistan Board stands with Bangladesh; they must get entry into the World Cup. The team qualified based on their performance, so injustice should not be done to them,” Naqvi said. Highlighting the issue of neutral venues, he questioned ICC’s approach, saying, “Our stance is clear that when you can give neutral venues to Pakistan and India, why not to Bangladesh.” Also read: Scotland replaces Bangladesh in T20 World Cup 2026: Associate nation will be placed in Group C, Mohsin Naqvi slams ICC for ‘Double standards’ PCB waiting for government decision, might withdraw from CC tournament Naqvi confirmed that PCB has taken the matter to the Pakistani government and will wait for Prime Minister’s return before making any announcement. “We are waiting for the Prime Minister to return. Only then will we decide whether to play the World Cup or not. Only after ICC’s final decision will we work on our Plan A, B, C and D,” he stated. If Bangladesh is officially removed from the tournament, Pakistan may follow the same path and withdraw in protest. Bangladesh raised security concerns after Mustafizur Rahman row The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had earlier raised concerns about player safety in India and requested that their World Cup matches be shifted to Sri Lanka. However, ICC rejected the request, stating that there were no security issues and instructed Bangladesh to play their matches in India. After Bangladesh refused, reports suggest ICC decided to replace them with a European team, believed to be Scotland. Also read: WATCH| MS Dhoni begins practice for IPL 2026: Rohit Sharma at his goofy best; Rishabh Pant shares 2016 to 2026 transformation Mustafizur Rahman’s controversy sparked the row The issue escalated after Bangladeshi fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for Rs 9.20 crore in the IPL auction on December 16. Soon after, violence against Hindus increased in Bangladesh, with reports claiming that seven Hindu youths were killed. Protests erupted in India, with saints and political groups demanding that Bangladeshi players should not be allowed in the IPL. Following this, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) asked KKR to release Mustafizur, which the franchise did on January 4. Also read: India announce squad for Women’s Test against Australia: Pratika Rawal, Amanjot Kaur, Kranti Gaud earned maiden call-ups In response, the Bangladesh government banned IPL broadcasts in the country. The BCB then claimed that Bangladeshi players were unsafe in India and reiterated their demand to shift World Cup matches to Sri Lanka. ICC rejected the demand, leading to the current standoff.