Pakistan Weighs T20 World Cup Participation; Decision Expected by Week’s End

ISLAMABAD/Lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has kicked the final decision on its participation in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 down the road, keeping all options, including a partial or full boycott, on the table as Islamabad and PCB leadership sort through political and sporting implications.

Interior Minister and PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday to discuss Islamabad’s stance after the International Cricket Council (ICC) replaced Bangladesh with Scotland in the tournament following Dhaka’s refusal to play in India over security concerns, a move Pakistan has branded unfair.

In a post on X, Naqvi described the meeting as “productive,” confirming that the prime minister directed the board to keep “all options on the table.” The PCB chief said Pakistan will make its final call either by Friday (Jan 30) or next Monday (Feb 2), leaving the national team’s future in the February-March tournament formally unresolved for now.

“The government will take the final call,” Naqvi said, signalling that Islamabad’s view is central to the decision. While an outright boycott remains a possibility, sources cited by Dawn suggest Pakistan could instead choose a targeted protest, for example, opting out of the high-profile clash with India in Colombo on February 15 while still playing other matches.

The T20 World Cup, set to start on Feb. 7 with 20 teams across India and Sri Lanka, has been thrown into uncertainty by Bangladesh’s withdrawal on safety grounds. Pakistan’s Group A fixtures include the Netherlands, the United States, Namibia and India.

According to The Tribune, Naqvi briefed Sharif on the implications of various scenarios, including how best to show solidarity with Bangladesh without jeopardising Pakistan’s own cricketing commitments and ICC obligations.

The PCB’s cautious approach underlines broader tensions in international cricket governance, where political and security issues increasingly intersect with the sport. As the countdown to the T20 World Cup continues, Pakistan’s decision, and its impact on the event’s marquee India-Pakistan fixture, will be watched closely by fans and stakeholders across the cricketing world.

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