The controversy surrounding the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 is growing bigger with each passing day and former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has once again added fuel to the fire. This time, after Bangladesh’s controversial exit, Latif has openly asked Pakistan to withdraw from the tournament.
Rashid Latif calls for Pakistan’s exit after Bangladesh’s shock exit
After the International Cricket Council (ICC) included Scotland in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 in place of Bangladesh, Latif said that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) should follow the BCB because without Pakistan, the T20 World Cup 2026 will lose its real meaning.
Rashid Latif said on YouTube channel ‘Caught Behind’, “If Pakistan does not go, everything will be over. This will not be the World Cup. Matches like Australia vs India can happen, but the level of the World Cup will be destroyed. The World Cup will be over.”
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Latif warned that T20 World Cup would have no meaning without Pakistan
Scotland have officially replaced Bangladesh in Group C and will play alongside England, Italy, Nepal and West Indies in the upcoming tournament after the ICC removed the Asian country due to their unreasonable demand of not playing in India due to security concerns.
After the shocking call, Latif predicted that PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi can burst a bomb any time, having recently said that Pakistan’s participation in the T20 World Cup 2026 depends on the government’s approval.
The former Pakistani player said, “From today’s press conference it looks like he is following the same path. When he says he will talk to the government, I think the talks have already taken place. It is just about taking the episode forward.”
Latif lauds Bangladesh’s tough stance, urges Pakistan to stop confusion
Latif also praised Bangladesh for taking a strong and clear stand by refusing to play in India. He said Bangladesh showed honesty and clarity by putting its country first and not changing its position. He believes that Pakistan should now stop sending misleading signals.
“By sticking to their stand, Bangladesh has shown that they are clean with their country in mind. Now is the time for Pakistan to stop talking and take action,” he said.
He also talked about mixing politics and cricket together. Latif claimed that Indian cricket is heavily influenced by the country’s ruling party BJP, which has disturbed the balance of world cricket.
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T20 World Cup 2026 will look like IPL without Pakistan: Rashid Latif
One of Latif’s biggest points was about the interest of the fans, he said that India-Pakistan matches are the biggest attraction in world cricket and a large number of fans watch the World Cup mainly for this rivalry. If Pakistan is not there then the tournament will lose a major part of its attraction. “At least 50 per cent of the people want to see India versus Pakistan. This interest will fade away,” he asserted.
Bangladesh alone can be punished, but if Pakistan also backs down, ICC will be forced to come to the table and talk. Otherwise, he feels the World Cup will start looking like the IPL rather than a global event. The former Pakistani cricketer said, “If Pakistan also joins Bangladesh, things will come to the bargaining table. If Bangladesh goes alone, they will have to face sanctions. But if Pakistan also backs out, it will not be a World Cup – it will just be IPL.”
Latif mocks the future of the World Cup
Latif also highlighted how important the Indian market is to world cricket money. He said that broadcasting and revenue are largely dependent on India. To illustrate his point, he gave a sarcastic example, asking people to imagine India playing a smaller team like Uganda in a packed Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad and calling it a World Cup match.
Latif signed off by saying, “If Pakistan withdraws, the news will go around the world. Just imagine if Uganda replaces Pakistan – India will play Uganda in Ahmedabad to a packed house.”
