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President of the Asian Cricket Council Mohsin Naqvi, center, who is also Pakistan's Minister of Interior, stands with officials on the field after India won the Asia Cup cricket final against Pakistan at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. (AP Photo)
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has deferred its decision on participation in the upcoming T20 World Cup, with chairman Mohsin Naqvi saying a final call will be taken either on Friday or by Monday.
Naqvi met Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday and said the issue was discussed in detail. “Had a productive meeting with the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif,” Naqvi tweeted. “Briefed him on the ICC matter, and he directed that we resolve it while keeping all options on the table. It was agreed that the final decision will be taken either on Friday or next Monday.”
His comments came days after he said the decision on sending the team to Sri Lanka for the T20 World Cup would be taken after consultations with the government.
Naqvi met Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday and said the issue was discussed in detail. (X/Mohsin Naqvi)
While Pakistan have already announced their squad for the tournament, scheduled to begin on February 7, speculation over their participation has intensified. The controversy began after the PCB supported Bangladesh’s decision not to travel to India during an ICC board meeting. Bangladesh were subsequently dropped from the T20 World Cup and replaced by Scotland, prompting Pakistan to accuse the ICC of double standards, citing India being allowed to play the Champions Trophy at a neutral venue.
Although the PCB has not officially indicated that it may pull out of the tournament, reports from Pakistan suggest multiple options are being considered. One possibility is Pakistan refusing to play their group-stage match against India on February 15 in Colombo. Grouped with India, Namibia, the USA and the Netherlands, Pakistan would forfeit two points if they skip the match and could also face ICC sanctions, given that an India-Pakistan clash is the tournament’s most commercially valuable fixture.
The match is scheduled to be played in Colombo under an arrangement between the two boards that fixtures involving both teams in ICC tournaments hosted by either country are held at neutral venues. However, uncertainty also surrounds what would happen if the two teams were to meet in the knockout stages.
Amid the uncertainty, former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has urged the PCB not to boycott the match against India. “Pakistan should not boycott, but wear black armbands and play the India game,” Basit said on his YouTube channel BasitAliShow. He added that cricket was no longer a “gentleman’s game” and had become deeply political.
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Basit also questioned the timing of any potential boycott. “Why wait for the February 15 India vs Pakistan game at the T20 World Cup? If you have to boycott, do it on February 1 during the Pakistan vs India U-19 World Cup match,” he said.
Referring to Australia’s forfeit against Sri Lanka in a past World Cup, Basit said Pakistan could legally forfeit a match but warned of the consequences, especially for broadcasters. He stressed that such actions would not be good for cricket and said even removing Pakistan from the tournament would hurt its competitiveness and appeal.
ICC sources told The Indian Express that if Pakistan decides to boycott the T20 World Cup or withdraw from the tournament, the ICC could impose sanctions. These could include suspension of bilateral series, denial of No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for foreign players in the Pakistan Super League, and exclusion from the Asia Cup.
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