The India vs Pakistan 2026 T20 World Cup controversy continues, as former players and pundits continue to share their views on Pakistan’s stance of boycotting the match on February 15. Former England captain Nasser Hussain has commented on the ongoing rift between the two giant cricket playing nations. He has taken the International Cricket Council and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to task.
Speaking on the Sky Sports Podcast with his former teammate Michael Atherton, he questioned the apex body for supporting powerful and influential boards, especially the BCCI. He also talked about inequality in world cricket. The comments come after BCCI terminated Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman’s contract with Indian Premier League franchise Kolkata Knight Riders, leading to chaos.
Nasir Hussain raised questions on the honesty of ICC
Following Mustafizur’s termination, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) decided not to travel to India citing security reasons; However, their request was not granted, and despite the BCB not changing their stance, they were removed from the World Cup, replaced by Scotland. To show support, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) decided to boycott the match against India, leading to a new India-Pakistan dispute.
Nasser Hussain questioned the integrity and asked whether the entire ICC body would have agreed on the matter if India was unwilling to travel to any other country citing government restrictions or security concerns if they were banned or fined.
‘The only question all parties are asking is continuity’- Nasir Hussain
Speaking on the podcast, Nasser Hussain said, “If India had said a month before a tournament that ‘our government doesn’t want us to play in a country for the World Cup’, would the ICC have been so strict and said, ‘you know the rules, bad luck, we’re throwing you out?'”
“The only question all sides are asking is continuity. Bangladesh, Pakistan and India should be treated equally. Yes, India fans can say, ‘And cry, we have money!’ But with power also comes responsibility. By continuously beating Bangladesh or Pakistan, their cricket becomes weak. That is why the great games between India and Pakistan or India and Bangladesh have become one-sided over time.”
This may disappoint some Indian fans, but Nasir Hussain’s comments have shocked them.
He highlighted the ICC’s apparent double standards in favor of the BCCI and raised the question whether the same strict rules would apply if India refused to play somewhere due to government concerns.
He supported Pakistan and… pic.twitter.com/lKaa9gIwJ7– Nibraz Ramzan (@nibraz88cricket) 5 February 2026
Nasir Hossain finally said that he was glad that the Bangladesh Cricket Board really took a stand for its players and supported them, “I really like Bangladesh sticking to their guns, standing up for their players. I also like Pakistan standing up for Bangladesh. At some level, someone has to say, enough with this politics, can we start playing cricket again.”
Najam Sethi is not in favor of ‘Big Three Model’
Earlier, former PCB chairman Najam Sethi had also shared his views on BCCI influencing decisions in world cricket and also mentioned the controversial “Big Three” model that gave power to India, Australia and England.
India vs Pakistan has always been the main attraction in any ICC event and if the match is canceled then ICC has to suffer huge loss and Pakistan also has to face heavy fines and sanctions. Pakistan can also be banned from playing cricket.
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