Pakistan are weighing a possible boycott of the T20 World Cup 2026 after Bangladesh pulled out over security concerns. PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi said all options remain open following talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, with a final decision expected soon.
Following Bangladeshโs withdrawal from the T20 World Cup 2026 over security concerns, Pakistan have openly discussed the possibility of taking a similar stand in solidarity with the Bangla Tigers. Earlier, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi criticised the International Cricket Council (ICC) for failing to accommodate Bangladesh and opting to bring in Scotland as their replacement instead.
In the days that followed, Pakistanโs stance escalated from talk of pulling out of the entire tournament to specifically considering a boycott of their marquee clash against India, scheduled for February 15 in Colombo. A decision was delayed as Naqvi awaited guidance from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who was out of the country at the time.
The matter was finally discussed on Monday, January 26, but the meeting did not lead to a clear outcome. Naqvi later shared an update on X, stating that all possibilities remain under consideration and that a definitive decision is expected either on Friday or early next week.
โHad a productive meeting with the Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif. 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,โ Naqvi tweeted.
However, it is to be noted that Naqvi made a mistake in his statement, as it should have referred to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, not Nawaz Sharif.
Pakistan announce squad for T20 World Cup
In the meantime, Pakistan have already announced their squad for the T20 World Cup 2026. Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi have found a spot, while Mohammad Rizwan and Haris Rauf failed to retain their spot.ย
Pakistan squad: Salman Ali Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan, Usman Tariq.