By delaying a definitive decision until at least Friday and considering a boycott of its marquee clash against co-hosts India in support of Bangladesh, who were eliminated from the competition, Pakistan on Monday maintained the tension around its participation in the forthcoming men’s T20 World Cup.
Following chairman Mohsin Naqvi’s meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Lahore, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced that a final decision about participation would be made either on Friday or the following Monday.
Later, Naqvi confirmed on social media that the matter was thoroughly discussed when he met with Sharif in Islamabad.
“I had a productive meeting with the Prime Minister and briefed him on the ICC matter. He directed that we resolve it while keeping all options on the table. It was agreed that the final decision will be taken either on Friday or next Monday,” Naqvi posted on X.
According to a PTI report, sources said Sharif asked Naqvi to offer all possible assistance to Bangladesh after their recent exit from the tournament starting February 7.
According to the sources, Sharif was informed about a number of options, such as Pakistan not sending a team to the T20 World Cup or attending the competition but skipping the prestigious match against India, which is set for February 15 in Colombo, if doing so would benefit Bangladesh cricket in any way.
In light of the changing circumstances following Bangladesh’s withdrawal from the competition, the PCB had previously insisted that the government will make the final decision about Pakistan’s participation in the event.
Due to security concerns in India, Bangladesh, who were replaced by Scotland in the 20-team competition, requested that their matches be moved to Sri Lanka. However, the ICC denied the request, stating that there was no such verifiable threat.
Pakistan’s T20 World Cup campaign will begin on February 7 in Colombo against the Netherlands. They will next play the USA on February 10, India on February 15, and Namibia on February 18.
On Sunday, PCB announced its 15-man squad, which includes seasoned Babar Azam but leaves out Haris Rauf. Salman Ali Agha will captain the team.
