Spectators holding Pakistan’s and Bangladesh’s nationwide flags cheer throughout a cricket match between the 2 nations in Rawalpindi on August 21, 2024. — AFP PCB intervention believed to have little bearing on ICC’s place. ICC stays agency on sustaining present match schedule.No public assertion from PCB on the matter made thus far.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has written to the Worldwide Cricket Council (ICC) expressing help for Bangladesh’s concern concerning travelling to India for the T20 World Cup 2026, simply forward of the governing physique’s assembly on the matter, ESPNcricinfo reported.
In its correspondence, the PCB backed the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) reluctance to play matches in India amid regional political instability. Sources mentioned that the letter was additionally circulated amongst ICC Board members.
The ICC is reportedly set to make a closing determination on Bangladesh’s involvement within the 2026 males’s T20 World Cup in its board assembly at this time (Wednesday).
The ICC will deliberate on Bangladesh’s request to relocate its World Cup fixtures to Sri Lanka, citing safety issues in India. Nevertheless, it stays unclear whether or not the PCB’s correspondence prompted the ICC to convene the assembly.
Whereas the timing of the PCB’s intervention has drawn consideration, it’s believed to have little bearing on the ICC’s present place. The governing physique has thus far stood agency on sustaining the present match schedule, not permitting Bangladesh to play its matches in Sri Lanka, one of many occasion’s co-hosts alongside India, as requested.
The ICC reiterated this stance to the BCB throughout discussions held final week.
Backed by the Bangladeshi authorities, the BCB has maintained its refusal to journey to India for the group-stage fixtures. Regardless of a number of rounds of talks between the ICC and the BCB, together with a current assembly in Dhaka over the weekend, neither aspect has shifted its place.
The ICC continues to insist that the matches proceed as scheduled, whereas the BCB stays unwilling to ship its staff to India.
The PCB’s entry into the problem follows days of hypothesis about its potential position in resolving the impasse. Unconfirmed studies recommended that Pakistan had provided to host Bangladesh’s matches and that the PCB was even reconsidering Pakistan’s personal participation within the World Cup, relying on the end result of Bangladesh’s case.
The PCB has thus far made no public assertion on the matter.
With the T20 World Cup scheduled to start on February 7, Bangladesh are presently slated to play their opening match towards West Indies in Kolkata, adopted by two extra group video games on the identical venue, earlier than concluding their group-stage fixtures in Mumbai.
The dispute traces again to the removing of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from Kolkata Knight Riders’ IPL 2026 squad on directions from the Board of Management for Cricket in India (BCCI), with none official rationalization.
This growth was adopted by the Bangladesh authorities banning the printed of the IPL within the nation, after which the BCB formally knowledgeable the ICC of its refusal to play T20 World Cup matches in India — a place it has maintained since.
Earlier studies recommend that Pakistan was anticipated to reassess its participation within the ICC Males’s T20 World Cup 2026 in India-Sri Lanka, following growing issues associated to the Bangladesh cricket staff.
They added that Pakistan helps Bangladesh’s legit issues, emphasising that they need to be addressed and acted upon.
Pakistan has additionally confused that no nation ought to face strain or threats from India, assuring Bangladesh of its full help on the matter.
