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Decision on Participation Awaited

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman and the country's interior minister, Mohsin Naqvi, met with the Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to brief him on the matter of the International Cricket Council (ICC) removing Bangladesh from the upcoming T20 Men's World Cup, starting February 7 in India and Sri Lanka. Naqvi, who is also the interior minister said that Pakistan would take a final call on participation in the tournament by Friday or Monday.

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"Had a productive meeting with the Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif. Briefed him on the ICC matter, and he directed that we resolve it while keeping all options on the table. It was agreed that the final decision will be taken either on Friday or next Monday," the PCB chairman wrote on X.

Stance Reconsidered After Bangladesh's Ejection

Earlier, PCB chairman and the country's interior minister, Mohsin Naqvi, had indicated that Pakistan could reconsider its participation in the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka after Bangladesh were ejected from the tournament by the ICC, reported Dawn News. Mohsin Naqvi's comments follow the ICC's official removal of Bangladesh from the marquee tournament after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) refused to play matches in India. In place of Bangladesh, Scotland has replaced them.

When asked about the potential boycott of the tournament, Naqvi said, "We are waiting for the prime minister to return," he said, adding that a final decision would be taken then. Pakistan has already been given a concession by the ICC and will be playing all its league games, including that against India in Sri Lanka.

Pakistan Announces Squad for T20 World Cup 2026

However, after Naqvi's comment, Pakistan announced their 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup 2026, according to the ICC. Led by Salman Agha, the 2009 winners will make a push for their second title in the marquee tournament, starting February 7.

Pakistan squad: Salman Ali Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan, Usman Tariq. (ANI)