T20 World Cup 2026: PCB chief Naqvi says decision on India vs Pakistan match in next 24 hours
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi on Monday said a final decision on whether his country will boycott the T20 World Cup match against India will be clear in the next 24 hours, acknowledging hectic parleys with the ICC, also involving his Bangladesh counterpart Aminul Islam Bulbul.
Addressing a press conference in Lahore, Naqvi also said that the PCB is waiting for a response from the ICC and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on certain issues that it has brought up. The game against India is scheduled to be held in Colombo on February 15.
“We have had discussions with them. It would not be right for me to make any comments right now. Once we get their response, we will decide. We will go back to the PM (Shehbaz Sharif) for advice once the ICC replies,” Naqvi told reporters.
“An announcement will come tomorrow or day after tomorrow,” he said.
“We respect our guests, and ICC came to our house, so we respected them. At this point in time, we cannot say much as negotiations between the ICC and Bangladesh are ongoing. Bangladesh’s stance was valid, so we had to back them,” he added.
Bangladesh has been ousted from the tournament for refusing to play in India, citing security concerns.
Naqvi also brushed aside suggestions that the PCB is under pressure due to ICC’s warning of action.
“You know we are not ones to be afraid of these threats at all. Everyone knows our Field Marshall (Asim Munir). We are not worried about any sanctions,” he said.
Published on Feb 09, 2026
