The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief, Mohsin Naqvi, stated that the announcement of the squad doesn`t mean that the team will participate in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026.
He reiterated his earlier stand that the PCB has been waiting to know the Pakistan government`s stand to take a call on the nation`s participation in the T20 World Cup, scheduled across India and Sri Lanka.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has removed Bangladesh from the marquee tournament after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) refused to play in India, citing security concerns.
Bangladesh is now replaced by Scotland in Group C of the tournament.
“We are waiting for the government`s advice and whatever the government tells us to do we will do it. If they don`t want us to go for the World Cup, we will follow it,” Naqvi told Pakistan players and head coach Mike Hesson during a meeting, which was held after the squad announcement.
Salman Ali Agha has been named as Pakistan`s captain for the global showpiece.
During the meeting, Naqvi briefed the players about the PCB`s policy on the issue of Bangladesh being excluded from the T20 World Cup 2026 because of their unwillingness to travel to India because of security concerns.
He also told the players that the Bangladesh stance of not wanting to play their matches in India was a principled one.
“We firmly reject the double standards of the ICC,” Naqvi was quoted as saying in the PCB statement.
Bangladesh`s move triggered after its pacer Mustafizur Rahman was released by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.
Earlier, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had asked KKR to release Rahman following the minority atrocities in Bangladesh.
The T20 World Cup 2026 is all set to kick off from February 7 to March 8 and will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
Agha-led men will begin their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign by playing a clash against the Netherlands on February 7 at the Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground in Sri Lanka. The high-octane match between arch-rivals, India and Pakistan, is scheduled to be played on February 15 at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo.
Pakistan`s squad for the T20 World Cup 2026
Salman Ali Agha (C), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk) and Usman Tariq.
(With PTI Inputs)
