Former England captain Nasser Hussain as seen on Wednesday’s version of Sky Sports activities Cricket Podcast, February 4, 2026. — Screengrab by way of Youtube/@skysportscricket
Former England captain Nasser Hussain on Wednesday urged the Worldwide Cricket Council (ICC) to use the identical requirements to each staff — together with India — as Pakistan maintains its place that it’s going to not take the sector for the February 15 World Cup match in opposition to India.
Talking on the Sky Sports activities Cricket Podcast, Hussain mentioned the actual take a look at for the ICC was “consistency” in the way it treats Bangladesh, Pakistan and India.
“I guess the real comparison would be… If it had been India, and in the future if India, a month before a tournament, say our government does not want us to go and play in that country in a World Cup, would the ICC have been so firm and say, ‘you know the rules, bad luck, we’re knocking you out’,” Hussain mentioned. “That is the only question that all sides ask for is consistency,” he added.
Hussain mentioned that whereas “India fans will say, ‘cry more, we have the money’,” he argued that “with power comes responsibility,” warning that repeatedly knocking different groups can weaken their cricket and scale back the competitiveness of main rivalries. He mentioned the identical political spillover was now seen in franchise cricket.
He pointed to considerations about whether or not franchises owned by IPL homeowners would choose Pakistani and Bangladeshi gamers, saying he understood England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) officers have been watching the difficulty in The Hundred. “I know The Hundred, I think the ECB, if I got that right, have said that they will keep an eye on that and make sure that Pakistan players are picked,” he mentioned.
Former England captain Michael Atherton responded that he believed there can be no change in coverage, saying: “I’m fairly certain Richard Gould has said there’d be no change in the policy, which is that obviously The Hundred is open to all players.”
Atherton added that it was value monitoring, provided that 4 of these groups are owned by IPL homeowners.
Hussain mentioned the game risked “shooting itself in the foot” if gamers have been frozen out of franchise alternatives, contrasting it with different leagues the place participation can strengthen a rustic’s cricket. “I’m amazed how well Pakistan have done and continues to do with everything that they’re working against,” he mentioned.
He additionally mentioned he understood Bangladesh’s place in defending its participant Mustafizur Rahman and mentioned he additionally “quite like Pakistan” backing Bangladesh, whereas urging a return to cricket freed from political escalation. “At some stage, somebody’s obtained to say: ‘Sufficient with this politics. Can we simply get again to enjoying cricket?'” he said.
His remarks come after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed Pakistan will not play India in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, saying the decision was taken after much deliberation and that “politics should not have any place within the area of sports activities”, whereas stressing Pakistan ought to stand with Bangladesh.
He made the assertion whereas addressing a federal cupboard assembly.
Pakistan has mentioned it won’t take the sector in opposition to India on February 15 to indicate solidarity with Bangladesh, which the ICC kicked out of the event after rejecting the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) request to maneuver matches outdoors India.
The BCB refused to let its staff journey to India, citing safety considerations within the wake of Mustafizur Rahman’s ouster from the Indian Premier League.
The ICC then changed Bangladesh with Scotland, stating that it was not possible to revise the schedule so near the February 7 begin of the World Cup.
The sources alleged that ICC chief Jay Shah’s choices had undermined equity and that totally different requirements have been being utilized on the ICC platform.
Since then, the ICC has expressed hope that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) would work in the direction of a “mutually acceptable resolution” and has urged the PCB to rethink, saying the choice was not “in the interest of the global game or the welfare of fans worldwide, including millions in Pakistan”.
At present, the nationwide staff is current in Colombo to take part within the T20 World Cup, scheduled to be co-hosted by Sri Lanka and India from February 7 to March 8.
