PCB chief briefs PM, says final decision on T20 World Cup to be made on Friday

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to discuss Pakistan’s participation in the T20 World Cup in India. 

Interior Minister briefed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the current situation between the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the International Cricket Council (ICC). 

Taking to his social media account on X, PCB chief aid that he had a productive meeting with the Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif. PCB chief briefed PM Shehbaz on the ICC matter, and he directed that we resolve it while keeping all options on the table. 

Naqvi said that it was agreed that the final decision will be taken either on Friday or next Monday. 

According to a handout by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Naqvi, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), met the premier in Islamabad. Naqvi gave a detailed briefing to the prime minister on the current situation between the ICC T20 World Cup and the BCB, the handout said.

The development comes after Bangladesh were replaced by Scotland on Saturday in the tournament, which is scheduled to begin next month, following their refusal to tour India over safety concerns in the wake of soured political relations between the Asian neighbours.

The governing ICC rejected Bangladesh’s request to move their matches to tournament co-host Sri Lanka, saying it was not feasible to change the schedule so close to the February 7 start of the tournament.

Hours before the ICC had announced its decision, Naqvi had said that Bangladesh was being treated unfairly and should be allowed to participate in the tournament.

At the time, he had said that Pakistan’s participation was still not confirmed. 

Meanwhile, the International Cricketers’ Association said on Sunday that the absence of Bangladesh from the T20 World Cup was a sad moment for the game and should serve as a call for stakeholders to work towards uniting the sport, not dividing it.

The withdrawal of Bangladesh from the T20 World Cup, and resulting absence of a valued cricketing nation from cricket’s pinnacle international T20 event, is a sad moment for our sport, the Bangladesh players and fans, and one that requires deep reflection, World Cricketers’ Association (WCA) Chief Executive Tom Moffat had said in a statement.

Sources said PCB may boycott its match against India on February 15 in Colombo. Skipping the game would cost Pakistan only two points, but it could cause significant financial loss for the International Cricket Council (ICC).  The PCB has multiple options to protest Bangladesh’s exclusion while still participating in the tournament. Officials emphasized that no final decision has been made yet. The board wants to keep its options open until all factors are considered.

The potential boycott reflects growing tensions after Bangladesh refused to play in India last year. The ICC replaced Bangladesh with Scotland and relocated matches to Sri Lanka. PCB sources said they are monitoring the situation closely before taking action.

Analysts said the decision will impact scheduling and group standings in the T20 World Cup. Fans and cricket experts are awaiting an official announcement. PCB officials stressed that the team’s participation depends on both sporting and diplomatic considerations.