Come Friday or Monday, Pakistan is set to officially announce its decision on participation in the 2026 T20 World Cup, a call they have held off on to show solidarity with what they believe to be an “injustice” towards Bangladesh. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is still awaiting a binding signal from the government, despite the move carrying strict consequences from the International Cricket Council (ICC). Media reports in Pakistan over the last few days have also indicated that the board has been weighing various protest gestures should they participate, including a potential boycott of the India game.
PCB has been the only ICC member board to support Bangladesh’s concerns about not sending its team to India for the T20 World Cup, citing “security concerns”. Not only did it write to the governing council earlier this month voicing its backing, but it also offered to host Bangladesh’s World Cup matches. In addition, PCB, along with Bangladesh, cast the only two votes in favour of addressing the concerns at the ICC’s final board meeting, before the apex body announced Scotland as the replacement team for the World Cup.
The decision did not sit well with PCB, as chairman Mohsin Naqvi publicly called out the ICC for “double standards”, subtly hinting at how the body had accommodated India’s “security concerns” last year when the BCCI received government orders not to send its team to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy.
Naqvi did not stop there. He turned what had been a week-long speculation in the Pakistani media into reality, stating that it was time for Pakistan to review its participation in the World Cup—clearly revealing that boycotting the tournament is on the cards.
While the decision has drawn ire from experts, irrespective of nationality, a few have gone as far as to not read much into what has been labelled a “threat”. Why? Because there have been past instances, most recently ahead of the Asia Cup in 2023 and the Champions Trophy in 2025, when similar “boycott” remarks from previous PCB heads proved to be empty threats.
The Asia Cup-World Cup threat in 2023
In late 2022, then BCCI secretary and ACC head Jay Shah publicly announced that India would not travel to Pakistan for the 2023 Asia Cup, citing “security concerns”, and added that the tournament would be held at a neutral venue. The Indian board had not sent a team to Pakistan since 2008 amid rising cross-border tensions, and that stance remained unchanged.
The decision angered then PCB chairman Ramiz Raja, who threatened to boycott the continental tournament if the hosting rights were taken away from PCB. The threat soon spilled over to the 2023 World Cup, with PCB stating that Pakistan would not send its team to India for the ICC tournament.
Amid the prolonged impasse, successive PCB chairman Najam Sethi’s proposal was eventually accepted: Pakistan hosted four games of the Asia Cup, while the remainder of the tournament, including the final, was staged in Sri Lanka. The ACC’s acceptance of the hybrid model also resolved the issue surrounding Pakistan’s participation in the 2023 World Cup.
Champions Trophy 2025
Pakistan was set to host a global cricket tournament for the first time in 29 years, and its first major international assignment since the 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan team. However, the BCCI was once again not permitted to send its team to Pakistan owing to “security” reasons, sparking a situation similar to 2023.
This time, PCB demanded a written explanation from the BCCI after it refused to accept the hybrid model for the tournament. With the Indian board remaining firm on its stance and formally approaching the ICC, PCB threatened to pull out of the tournament if the hosting rights were taken away.
ICC’s last-minute intervention eventually saw PCB accept Dubai as a neutral venue for all of India’s matches, defusing the standoff.
Not always empty threats…
The only time Pakistan followed through on its word was during the 1990–91 Asia Cup, when the nation opted out of the tournament due to strained political relations with India, the host nation. Four years earlier, India had done the same in the 1986 Asia Cup owing to similar geopolitical tensions. In 1993, the tournament itself was cancelled due to ongoing political friction between the two neighbours.
Why Pakistan are unlikely to boycott the 2026 T20 World Cup
Firstly, Pakistan have little ground to withdraw from the tournament, given they will be playing at venues of their choice under an earlier agreement between PCB, ICC and BCCI. While resentment over how the ICC treated Bangladesh remains, the matter can be pursued at an administrative level rather than by denying players participation in a World Cup.
Moreover, the ICC has reportedly warned of sanctions, including a potential Asia Cup ban and restrictions on issuing no-objection certificates (NOCs) for foreign players in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). Added to that are the financial implications, which include the loss of participation fees and the possibility of legal action from host broadcasters.
