Mohsin Naqvi wanted Bangladesh to get ‘respect’ in boycott row:ICC gave concessions to Pakistan for lifting India match boycott

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi said that his aim was for Bangladesh to ‘get some respect’ in the boycott controversy, which dominated headlines in the T20 World Cup 2026. Pakistan had, on 1 February, announced that they will boycott the match against India on 15 February.
However, Pakistan took a U-turn on 9 February, calling off the boycott of the marquee clash that is slated to take place at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The ICC also issued a statement, reiterating the fact. Wanted Bangladesh to get ‘respect’, says Mohsin Naqvi Speaking to reporters in Peshawar on 10 February, Naqvi said that his solitary goal was to have Bangladesh get some respect after the ‘injustice’ done to them. It has to be remembered that Naqvi had publicly criticised the ICC’s decision to replace Bangladesh with Scotland at the T20 World Cup. “We didn’t keep any condition [in our negotiations] other than Bangladesh. Our only aim was to get Bangladesh some respect, to right the injustice that had been done to them,” the PCB chief said. Naqvi had a long meeting with ICC deputy chairman Imran Khawaja in Lahore, a discussion of which Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) chief Aminul Islam was part of as well, on 8 February. Subsequently, the BCB also issued a statement ‘requesting’ that the India vs Pakistan match be played, something which is ‘good for the cricket ecosystem’. Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake also had a discussion with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, where he urged him to call off the boycott. Bangladesh to have no sanctions for not playing T20 World Cup The ICC also announced that Bangladesh would not be penalised in any manner for refusing to visit India to play the T20 World Cup, something that eventually led to their exclusion from the competition. The apex cricket body also had said that Bangladesh would host an ICC tournament between 2028 and 2031. ICC gave concessions to Pakistan for calling off boycott A PCB source has revealed that the ICC gave concessions to Pakistan for calling off the boycott of the match against India. “Whatever concessions the PCB has got from the ICC on ending their boycott will only be made public after the end of T20 World Cup,” the source said, as quoted by PTI. Another source also said that Sri Lanka President’s phone call to Sharif and their subsequent conversation played a major role in Pakistan’s U-turn. “The call from Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissinayake played a big part in ending the boycott, as did a briefing from some top people in the government/establishment who have been closely following the developments,” the source said. It was also reported that Naqvi advocated for India and Pakistan to play Tests against each other as they were meeting in neutral venues anyway. But for two countries to play Tests, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and PCB have to strike a deal, something that seems unlikely amid the tensed political relations. Asif Nazrul’s U-turn, says players and BCB decided to boycott T20 WC Bangladesh government’s sports advisor Asif Nazrul also took a U-turn, claiming that the BCB and the players wanted to boycott the T20 World Cup. Earlier, he had said that it was a decision made by the government. Nazrul had a long meeting with BCB officials and the players on 22 January on their participation in the T20 World Cup after the board cited ‘security issues’ in India. According to Cricbuzz, Bangladesh captain Litton Das had later revealed that the players were not involved in any discussion. “There is no question of regret (not playing the World Cup). This decision was taken by the BCB and the players as they made sacrifices for the safety of the country’s cricket, the safety of the people and to protect national dignity,” he said, as quoted by Cricbuzz. He went on to credit the BCB after ICC said that Bangladesh would not be sanctioned at all for the T20 World Cup pull-out.
“The ICC has said there will be no sanctions and that Bangladesh will be considered for hosting an international tournament. This is a brilliant achievement. I salute the Bangladesh Cricket Board,” Nazrul stated.