Pakistan will take part in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 after the country showed signs of a possible boycott. The Pakistan cricket team will proceed to Sri Lanka for its upcoming tournament matches according to recent news reports.
Travel Plans and Official Confirmation
Asia Sports reported that Pakistani players and support staff already have their travel tickets booked to fly to Colombo. The official statement will be released by Friday. Mohsin Naqvi who serves as chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board will announce the team’s participation at that time.
Government Involvement in the Decision
Sources state that PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi recently met Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, in Islamabad to discuss the issue. The Prime Minister showed initial support for the PCB which backed Bangladesh but later decided to proceed with World Cup participation after financial loss concerns emerged.
Background of the Dispute
- Bangladesh requested the International Cricket Council (ICC) to relocate its World Cup matches from India to Sri Lanka because of security issues. The ICC denied the request because of two reasons: first, there was not enough time to fulfill the request and second, India did not have any identified security threat.
- Bangladesh withdrew from the tournament following this decision. Bangladesh needed to find a replacement which the ICC selected based on Scotland's ranking as per its regulations. Pakistan later expressed support for Bangladesh and indicated it might also withdraw from the competition.
Financial Considerations and Final Outcome
A withdrawal from the World Cup would have resulted in significant financial losses for the PCB. As a result, Pakistan appears to have revised its position and decided to take part in the tournament. The team is now preparing for travel and participation as scheduled.
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