Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi has said that every option remains open regarding a possible boycott of T20 World Cup 2026 following his meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday.
The discussion, which lasted around 30 minutes, saw Naqvi brief the Prime Minister on the current situation, with both sides agreeing that a final call would be taken either by Friday, January 30, or Monday, February 2.
Chairman PCB Mohsin Naqvi called on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad and discussed Pakistan’s stand on the #T20WorldCup2026. Final decision will be announced by PM. pic.twitter.com/KTs2cs61b9
— Shakir Abbasi (@ShakirAbbasi22) January 26, 2026
Pakistan’s participation in ICC T20 World Cup 2026 tournament has come under a cloud after ICC removed Bangladesh for refusing to travel to India.
Reports indicate that Pakistan are even weighing the possibility of skipping the high-profile World Cup match against India on Feb 15th.
Notably, PCB announced a 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup on Sunday, but Naqvi made it clear that playing in the tournament will depend entirely on government approval.
ICC unhappy with PCB’s stance
International Cricket Council is reportedly displeased with PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi’s aggressive stance on T20 World Cup issue and is understood to be considering strong punitive measures if Pakistan pulls out of the tournament.
Potential consequences could include the suspension of bilateral series, exclusion from Asia Cup, and a collective refusal by member boards to issue NOCs for overseas players participating in Pakistan Super League.
Such sanctions would deal a major blow to PCB, affecting its broadcast revenues, sponsorships, and overall commercial standing, while also weakening Pakistan cricket’s position in the global ecosystem.
Pakistan T20 World Cup 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 (wk) and Usman Tariq.
