"We will also pull out if..."- Pakistan join Bangladesh in boycotting T20 World Cup 2026 as Mohsin Naqvi makes stunning statement
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PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi openly supported Bangladesh as ICC rejected their request to relocate their T20 World Cup 2026 games.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Saturday confirmed that Bangladesh are officially out from T20 World Cup 2026 that begins next month in India and Sri Lanka from February 7. In their place, Scotland have been added to the side based on their ICC rankings.
Bangladesh pulling out of the T20 World Cup 2026 will have massive repercussions not only to the players, but also to the board. The players have dealt with massive controversies in recent times. Now, with the pullout, the board as well as players will lose out on lot of money.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) previously requested the ICC to take out their matches from India and schedule them in Sri Lanka, owing to security reasons. However, the ICC quashed all such requests and gave the BCB a 24-hour deadline before coming up with the final decision on their team.
Bangladesh are now officially out from participating in the upcoming T20 World Cup and will be replaced by Scotland, who rank 14th in the latest ICC T20I rankings.
We will also pull out of the T20 World Cup – PCB Chief Mohsin Naqvi
Meanwhile, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chief Mohsin Naqvi has made a statement on Bangladesh’s pullout from the T20 World Cup. He criticised ICC for being unfair to Bangladesh and expressed their support to the Tigers.
“What ICC has done to Bangladesh is unfair. We stand by them. We are waiting for our prime minister to return and if the Pakistan government decides we will also pull out of the t20 World Cup. Let ICC then look for a 22nd team,” PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi said while responding to a question related to what would be Pakistan’s stance on ICC’s decision regarding Bangladesh.
He further said that Pakistan themselves might withdraw from the tournament to show solidarity with their Asian neighbours. He said that the players and the board will follow the orders of the government and not the ICC on the future of their participation in the tournament.
“Our stance [on World Cup participation] 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 said.
Meanwhile, Scotland will replace Bangladesh in Group C and will be there alongside West Indies, Italy, England and Nepal. They will play their first three games in Kolkata – West Indies (February 7), Italy (February 9) and England (February 14) before taking on Nepal in their final league game in Mumbai (February 17).
Which team has replaced Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup 2026?
Bangladesh have been replaced by Scotland in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026.
When does the T20 World Cup 2026 begin?
The tournament begins from February 7 to be co – hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
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Anshuman Roy is a senior cricket journalist with nearly a decade of experience covering the game. His love for cricket began in childhood, playing at school and college level before turning that passion into a profession. Over the years, he has written for several reputed media houses and specialises in news, features, previews, reviews, match reports, and opinion pieces.