LAHORE, JAN 21: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has written to the International Cricket Council (ICC) expressing support for the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) stance of not playing its matches in India amid ongoing political tensions in the region.
The move comes a day before the governing body is expected to take a final call on Bangladesh’s participation in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
The PCB is understood to have copied members of the ICC Board in its correspondence, backing Bangladesh’s concerns over travelling to India during a period of regional instability.
The ICC has scheduled a Board meeting on Wednesday to discuss the BCB’s request to relocate Bangladesh’s matches to Sri Lanka due to security concerns in India.
It remains unclear whether the PCB’s communication led to the meeting being convened.
While the timing of the PCB’s intervention has raised eyebrows, it is unlikely to alter the ICC’s stance.
The global body has so far remained firm on keeping the tournament schedule unchanged and expects Bangladesh to play its matches in India, with Sri Lanka co-hosting the event.
The BCB, with backing from the Bangladesh government, has refused to send the national team to India for the group-stage fixtures.
Despite multiple meetings between ICC and BCB officials — including the most recent discussions held in Dhaka last weekend — neither side has shifted its position.
The ICC has insisted that matches proceed as planned, while the BCB has maintained that it cannot travel to India.
January 21 had been set as the deadline for a final decision, leaving less than three weeks before the tournament begins.
The PCB’s late involvement follows a week of speculation regarding potential developments.
Unverified reports suggested that Pakistan could host Bangladesh’s matches or that the PCB was reviewing Pakistan’s own participation in the World Cup depending on how the situation unfolds.
However, the PCB has not made any public comment on the matter.
The dispute began after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) instructed Kolkata Knight Riders to remove Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL 2026 squad.
Although no official explanation was provided, deteriorating political relations between India and Bangladesh were cited as a contributing factor.
This move prompted the Bangladesh government to formally state that the national team would not play its World Cup matches in India.
The situation has since escalated, leading to unrest among players in Bangladesh and briefly affecting the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), after a senior BCB official made controversial remarks about leading players while addressing the potential financial impact of a World Cup withdrawal.
