Till January 29, 2026, the standoff between Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) And ICC has reached its most critical phase. after removing bangladesh From t20 world cup 2026pcb chairman Mohsin Naqvi has escalated its rhetoric, portraying the situation not just as a scheduling conflict, but as a fight against institutional bias.
Mohsin Naqvi challenges ICC’s authority after Bangladesh’s right to T20 World Cup 2026
In a series of sharp statements following a high-level briefing with the Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif On January 26, Mohsin Naqvi challenged the authority of ICC. He questioned why the hybrid model (playing matches)? Sri Lanka) awarded to India And Pakistan But Bangladesh were refused, due to which they had to drop out.
“Bangladesh have been treated unfairly. I said the same in the ICC board meeting. You cannot adopt double standards, where one country can decide anything at any time and do exactly the opposite for another country. That is why we have taken the stand that Bangladesh should be allowed to play… If the Pakistan government decides, we will also be out. Then let the ICC find the 22nd team.” Economic Times said this quoting Naqvi.
Naqvi stressed the independence of the PCB from the ICC, saying:
“Our position on participation in the World Cup will be guided by the instructions of the Pakistani government. Once the Prime Minister returns and reviews the matter, we will take advice from him. The government’s decision will be final and binding. We are not under the ICC; we are under our government.” Naqvi concluded.
Iceland Cricket’s funny idea to replace Pakistan in T20 World Cup 2026 goes viral
Reports emerging on January 29 suggest that Pakistan is looking for a strategic middle path. Rather than pulling out completely, the PCB is reportedly considering canceling the match against India in Colombo on February 15. By framing this specific exclusion as a ‘direct government order’ rather than a Board decision, Pakistan hopes to exploit the legal loophole to avoid the ICC’s ‘political interference’ sanctions. Internal sources indicate that the goal is to show solidarity with Bangladesh while reducing the risk of a complete ban.
increasing the pressure, iceland cricket Went viral on January 28 with its sarcastic offer to transform Pakistan. His post, which has been widely shared by global media, mocked the PCB’s delay:
“We really need Pakistan to decide soon on their participation in the T20 World Cup. We are ready to take off as soon as they leave on February 2, but the flight schedule to get us to Colombo in time for February 7 is a nightmare. Our opening batsman is suffering from insomnia!” reads the post.
We really need Pakistan to take a decision on its participation in the T20 World Cup soon.
We are ready to take off as soon as they fly out on 2nd February, but the flight schedule to get us to Colombo in time for 7th February is a nightmare.
Our opener is an insomniac! pic.twitter.com/2hJSpMn0Cx
– Iceland Cricket (@icelandcricket) 28 January 2026
Despite public threats, the ground reality points towards participation. Telecom Asia Sport report confirms that Salman Ali Aga and his squad have already booked flight tickets to Colombo for next week. Experts have warned that a complete boycott would be a ‘financial suicide mission’, potentially causing the PCB to lose $34.5 million (Rs 317 crore) in ICC revenue and leading to the revocation of No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for international stars in the PSL.
Also read: After Bangladesh, will Pakistan also boycott T20 World Cup 2026? Mohsin Naqvi broke his silence
