The International Cricket Council (ICC) warned Pakistan of strict action after the Pakistan Cricket Board indicated that it would boycott the upcoming T20 World Cup to be held in India and Sri Lanka. PCB has publicly supported Bangladesh, which has been removed from the tournament over its refusal to play its matches in India, alleging security issues.
ICC Warns Pakistan With Total Isolation Over T20 World Cup Threats: Sourceshttps://t.co/b3vLQF0d51@cheerica reports pic.twitter.com/svvI08e4aq
— NDTV (@ndtv) January 25, 2026
The controversy started when the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) approached the ICC to shift Bangladesh matches from India, citing security problems. However, ICC rejected their demand, saying that they didn’t find any security issue at the venues in India. But BCB was adamant, saying that they won’t play their group stage matches in India.
As a result, ICC removed the Bangladeshi team from the T20 World Cup, and replaced them with Scotland. Following this, the Pakistan Cricket Board hinted at boycotting the event in support of Bangladesh. The chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Mohsin Naqvi, declared that the decision on Pakistani representation at the tournament rests with the government, not with the cricket authorities.
Naqvi claimed that Bangladesh has been treated unfairly by the ICC and the team should be allowed to play. He said, “Bangladesh has been treated unfairly. I said the same in the board meeting of the International Cricket Council (ICC). You cannot have double standards, where one country can make whatever decision whenever and do the total opposite for another country.”
According to him, Bangladesh, being one of the major ICC members, should not have been treated this way. He also questioned why venue changes were allowed in the past for certain teams but not considered for Bangladesh this time.
The ICC is reportedly unhappy with PCB Chief Mohsin Naqvi's recent comments supporting Bangladesh, and if Pakistan follows a similar path and decides not to participate in the T20 World Cup 2026, the ICC could impose sanctions.
— InsideSport (@InsideSportIND) January 25, 2026
Source: Express Sports #T20WorldCup… pic.twitter.com/o1sf4sJu7Y
He further said, “That is why we have taken the stand that Bangladesh is being treated unfairly and should be allowed to play the World Cup in any case. They are a major stakeholder and this injustice should not be done.”
Talking about Pakistan’s participation in the tournament, Naqvi said, “Our stance will be what the government of Pakistan instructs me. The Prime Minister is not in Pakistan right now. When he returns, I’ll be able to give you our final decision. It’s the government’s decision. We obey them, not the ICC.”
Naqvi’s comments and Pakistan’s support for Bangladesh did not go well with the ICC. According to reports, the global cricket board has issued a strong warning to Pakistan that it would impose sanctions on them in case they choose to pull out of the T20 World Cup.
The sanctions that are being discussed include a ban on all bilateral games involving Pakistan, not issuing NOCs to foreign cricketers who want to play in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), and not letting Pakistan play the Asia Cup. Further, all bilateral series involving Pakistan may be suspended, and international recognition and commercial backing for the PSL may be withdrawn.
