- PCB chief praises the talent and competitiveness of the national team.
- Support for Bangladesh, guided by the principles of cricket: Naqvi.
- PCB chief warns against political interference in cricket.
The national men’s cricket team on Sunday pledged its full support to the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) principled stand regarding participation in the 2026 T20 World Cup co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi met national players and briefed them on the board’s stance regarding the T20 World Cup after the International Cricket Council (ICC) replaced Bangladesh with Scotland for the tournament, Geo news reported.
During the meeting, players praised the PCB chairman’s principled approach in the dispute between the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the ICC.
The cricket governing body replaced Bangladesh with Scotland in the 2026 T20 World Cup over Dhaka’s refusal to send its team to India for the mega event, citing concerns over safety and welfare of players.
In a statement on Saturday, the ICC said it made the decision after finding no “credible or verifiable security threat” to the Bangladesh national team in India.
Naqvi, however, said the decision “reflected ICC’s double standards”, saying PCB would follow government guidelines regarding participation in the tournament.
He added that Pakistan’s support to Bangladesh was guided by the golden principles of cricket and warned against political interference in the sport.
“Politically charged cricket is not in anyone’s interest; everyone must operate according to the principles of cricket,” he said.
The sources said the PCB chief is expected to meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif tomorrow to discuss matters related to Pakistan’s participation in the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Meanwhile, Naqvi extended his best wishes to the team ahead of the T20I series against Australia, emphasizing the importance of teamwork in achieving success.
The national players are talented and know how to compete in every aspect, he said, adding that fans expected good performances from them in the upcoming series.
Pakistan T20I captain Salman Ali Agha, head coach Mike Hesson, PCB chief operating officer, media director, commercial director and team manager were also present at the meeting.
