The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Aminul Islam Bulbul, has headed to Lahore for an important meeting with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in a bid to resolve the growing tension, as per reports. Pakistan had earlier decided to boycott the T20 World Cup 2026 match against India that is scheduled for February 15 in Colombo.
The controversy began when BCB asked the International Cricket Council (ICC) to change the venues for their World Cup matches following Mustafizur Rahman’s exit from the IPL. The BCB cited “security concerns” for the change in venues.
Later, Pakistan came in BCB’s support and the Government eventually announced that the national side will feature in the marquee event but will boycott the match against India.
“The Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan grants approval to the Pakistan cricket team to participate in the ICC World T20 2026, however, the Pakistan Cricket team shall not take the field in the match scheduled on 15th February 2026 against India.”
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi had described Bangladesh’s exclusion as “unjust” and “politically motivated”.
PCB and BCB are expected to present a united front before meeting with the officials of ICC later on Sunday.
What ICC Said?
In a statement, ICC said, “The ICC notes the statement that the government of Pakistan has made regarding the decision to instruct its national team to selectively participate in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.”
The ICC said that such “selective participation is difficult to reconcile with the fundamental premise of a global sporting event where all qualified teams are expected to compete on equal terms per the event schedule.” The statement went on to stress the importance of fairness and integrity in ICC tournaments, saying, “ICC tournaments are built on sporting integrity, competitiveness, consistency and fairness, and selective participation undermines the spirit and sanctity of the competitions.
”While the ICC acknowledged that governments play a role in national policy, it expressed concern over the wider impact of Pakistan’s stance. “While the ICC respects the roles of governments in matters of national policy, this decision is not in the interest of the global game or the welfare of fans worldwide, including millions in Pakistan,” the statement read.
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