Pakistan will not move towards boycotting the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, despite the ongoing complications involving Bangladesh. This was reported by UAE-based news outlet Gulf News.
According to the report, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has rejected rumours suggesting that Pakistan would also refuse to participate in the tournament if Bangladesh’s matches were not relocated from India. A source close to the PCB was quoted as saying that such claims do not reflect the board’s stance.
“This is not the board’s position. The PCB has no such stand,” the source said. “There is also no logical reason for Pakistan to withdraw, as it has already been confirmed that matches will be played in Sri Lanka.”
Earlier, sections of the Pakistani media claimed that the PCB had suspended its preparations for the World Cup. However, board officials dismissed these reports, describing them as attempts to inflame the situation. The team management has instead been instructed to remain prepared for all possible scenarios.
While ruling out any boycott, Pakistan has expressed support for Bangladesh’s concerns. The PCB considers Bangladesh’s security-related apprehensions to be “reasonable”.
The issue escalated after Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman was released from his IPL franchise, following which the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) formally informed the ICC of its inability to play matches at Indian venues. However, the ICC’s security assessment reportedly found the risk at Indian venues to be “minimal”.
Despite this, both the Bangladesh government and the BCB have maintained their position. Although a proposal to alter group placements was put forward as an alternative, the ICC remains unwilling to revise the tournament schedule. The final decision now rests with the BCB.
