According to media reports, the Pakistan Cricket Board is thinking of withdrawing from the T20 World Cup if the Bangladesh dispute over shifting their matches out of India is not settled.
In an attempt to put more pressure on the International Cricket Council to move their Twenty20 World Cup matches to Sri Lanka, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has reportedly reached out to the PCB for diplomatic assistance.
“The Bangladesh government contacted officials in Pakistan to seek support regarding their participation in the upcoming T20 World Cup and received a positive response. Pakistan has indicated to us that they could reconsider their own participation if Bangladesh’s issue is not addressed,” a source reportedly told NDTV.
In order to play in Sri Lanka rather than India during the T20 World Cup, the BCB requested on Saturday that the ICC switch its Group C matches with Ireland.
“The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) today held a meeting with representatives of the International Cricket Council (ICC) to discuss matters relating to Bangladesh’s participation in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026,” said the BCB in a release after the meeting with ICC delegates.
Bangladesh, the West Indies, Italy, England, and Nepal are in Group C, and their games are scheduled to take place in Kolkata and Mumbai.
According to another report, the ICC has given BCB till Wednesday, January 21, to make a definitive decision regarding whether or not to send the Bangladesh cricket team to India for the T20 World Cup.
Scotland might be named by the ICC as a replacement if the BCB declines to send its squad to India, based on the current rankings.
Bangladesh are scheduled to play three group-stage matches at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens before their final group-stage match at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. The ICC has insisted on sticking to the original schedule.
