Days after the meeting between PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi and Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, the discussion on their plans for the ICC T20 World Cup has come to light, and Mohsin Naqvi’s perspective will shock you.
Pakistan has been continuously rebelling against the ICC ever since the international body rejected Bangladesh’s claims to shift the venues from India to its co-host country Sri Lanka. The ICC then announced Scotland as Bangladesh’s replacement for the upcoming World Cup.
After the claims were made, PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi announced that they may also consider boycotting the ICC tournament and are awaiting a decision from their government.
Mohsin Naqvi told ‘ICC’ to the Prime Minister as his only priority.
The head of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Mohsin Naqvi, has been one of the most controversial figures in world cricket recently, and his spat with the ICC over a number of issues since the Asia Cup has been an open secret.
However, ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, Naqvi wants to improve his methods and has even expressed this to the Prime Minister of Pakistan. Pakistan shares friendly relations with the current Bangladesh government, and hence, they are looking to support the Bangladesh government’s decision of not sending their team to India for the T20 World Cup.
In his meeting with Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi discussed Pakistan’s participation in the ICC T20 World Cup and clearly said that the idea of ​​boycott was not on his mind, as he aims to improve relations with the international body.
“When PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi met Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, he clearly told that all options under consideration should ensure a stable and prosperous future for Pakistan cricket and maintain good relations with the ICC and member boards,” an insider told PTI.
Rumors of a boycott were dismissed by a PCB official, saying, “There is no ban on India playing Pakistan in ICC events.”
After the meeting, the PCB is still awaiting a final decision from the PCB, and the official confirmation will be given on Friday or Monday. Speculation had suggested that Pakistan might withdraw from the tournament and refuse to compete against India in Group A.
“The Indian government has refused to send its team to Pakistan, but there is no ban on India playing Pakistan in ICC events or Asia Cup level tournaments at neutral venues,” a PTI source said.
“So on what grounds can Pakistan justify boycotting the match against India, when its government has consistently maintained that politics should not be mixed with sports?” He added.
PCB has announced its arrival dates for the T20 World Cup
While reports and speculations continue on the other front, the Pakistan cricket team has kept its T20 World Cup preparations on track. They recently defeated the mighty Australian team in the first T20I game before the start of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
According to some PTI reports, the PCB has already booked travel arrangements for Pakistan. The team will fly to Colombo on February 2 and begin their preparations. All their matches are in Sri Lanka, with hosts India traveling to Colombo to play Pakistan on the 15th.
“The PCB has already made travel arrangements for the World Cup squad that will leave for Colombo early in the morning on February 2,” sources close to the board told PTI.
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