Indian gamers pictured alongside Pakistan crew throughout Asia Cup 2025 conflict at Dubai Worldwide Cricket Stadium, Dubai, UAE, September 14, 2025. — ReutersPCB contemplating varied choices to register protest: sources.Solely two factors to be deducted if Pakistan not play India match.Board to maintain choices open even when it participates in world cup.
KARACHI: Amid the continued row between the Worldwide Cricket Council (ICC) and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) over the difficulty of travelling to India, Pakistan could boycott its T20 World Cup 2026 match in opposition to arch-rivals India on February 15, sources mentioned on Monday.
Sources say that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is contemplating varied choices to register its protest, with the choice to not take part within the match in opposition to India set to be performed in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
They added that solely two factors could be deducted if Pakistan refuse to play the scheduled fixture, whereas alternatively, it could trigger important monetary loss to the cricketing physique.
The board, nonetheless, will maintain choices open even when it participates within the World Cup, the sources added.
The PCB’s potential transfer is to be taken in opposition to the backdrop of ICC’s determination to switch Bangladesh with Scotland after Dhaka refused to ship its crew to India, citing safety issues.
The BCB had requested the ICC to maneuver their matches from India to Sri Lanka, who’re co-hosts of the match, which commences on February 7.
Nevertheless, the cricketing physique turned down the BCB’s request, citing the shortage of any “credible or verifiable security threat” to the Bangladesh national team in India”.
As a part of this course of, the ICC mentioned it reviewed the issues cited by the BCB, commissioned and regarded impartial safety assessments from inside and exterior specialists, and shared detailed safety and operational plans masking federal and state preparations, in addition to enhanced and escalating safety protocols for the occasion.
The PCB, nonetheless, has put its weight behind Bangladesh in gentle of the ICC’s “double standards”, saying that it could observe the federal government’s directives relating to participation within the match.
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, on Sunday, took the nationwide aspect’s gamers into confidence over the board’s principled stance, and mentioned that Pakistan’s assist for Bangladesh was guided by cricket’s golden ideas, and cautioned in opposition to political interference within the sport.
Extremely positioned sources have mentioned that the PCB can be weighing a attainable withdrawal from the T20 World Cup 2026.
A remaining determination is anticipated following an important assembly between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and PCB Chairman Naqvi in Islamabad on Monday (at present).
Bangladesh-India row
Relations between Bangladesh and India have been strained relations in current instances with political tensions between the 2 neighbouring international locations after Bangladesh’s former prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled to New Delhi following protests in opposition to her.
Political tensions have since then spilt into cricket.
Bangladesh bowler Mustafizur Rahman was dropped from this 12 months’s Indian Premier League regardless of signing with its Kolkata franchise. Bangladesh responded by banning IPL broadcasts within the nation and demanding to play World Cup matches in Sri Lanka.
The standoff mirrors earlier tensions in South Asian cricket.
For the Champions Trophy final 12 months, the Indian cricket board (BCCI) caught to its coverage of not touring Pakistan due to the strained political ties between the bitter neighbours, who play one another solely in ICC occasions.
Like for the 2023 Asia Cup in Pakistan, a “hybrid model” was agreed on underneath which India had been allowed to play their Champions Trophy matches in Dubai to salvage the match.
Below the settlement operating till 2027, Pakistan will play in a impartial venue for any ICC occasion, together with the T20 World Cup, the place they’re scheduled to play their matches in Sri Lanka.
