Pakistan cricket chief Mohsin Naqvi said on Monday that a decision will be held back for up to a week finalising whether the team would pull out of next month’s Twenty20 World Cup, paving the way for a potential boycott over Bangladesh backing down.
Naqvi was scheduled to meet Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Monday to seek his advice but a call is expected before then with the cricket board boss posting on X: “The final decision will either be taken Friday or next Monday.”
He said he had “a very good meeting” with the premier, who asked us to resolve it and to have all options on the table.
Naqvi raised doubts over the national cricket team’s participation on Saturday, claiming Pakistan could withdraw after the International Cricket Council (ICC) swapped Bangladesh with another participating nation.
Pakistan may also refuse to play an arch-rival India on February 15 due to political pressure, local media said as well.
Pakistan’s response comes after the International Cricket Council turned down Bangladesh’s request to have their World Cup games taken out of India and played in Sri Lanka following concerns about security.
Scotland moved ahead of Bangladesh as per the Twenty20 international rankings after the ICC posted the rankings on Saturday.
Pakistan supported Bangladesh’s position in Wednesday’s ICC Board virtual meeting, suggesting there was a precedent of moving India matches on security concerns from Pakistan at last year’s Champions Trophy.
Then India, who have not toured Pakistan since 2008, featured all their matches in Dubai.
Pakistan have been handed the same choice amid an agreement signed last year where the two teams will play on neutral venues whenever one of them hosts an ICC event, so Pakistan will not visit India and play their Twenty20 World Cup matches in Sri Lanka.
Pakistan and Bangladesh resumed their acrimonious relationship following the overthrow of prime minister Sheikh Hasina in a student-led rebellion in Bangladesh.
Instead, Dhaka and New Delhi had a falling out over an Indian request that the fugitive former prime minister be handed over.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India ordered Kolkata Knight Riders to omit Bangladesh cricketer Mustafizur Rahman from their line-up amid political tensions earlier this month.
Bangladesh subsequently declined to play in India and wanted its matches moved to co-hosts Sri Lanka, the ICC rejected their appeal.