LAHORE: Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Najam Sethi on Friday threw his weight behind incumbent chairman Mohsin Naqvi amid reports that Pakistan will be boycotted from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 to be held in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (PCB) are at loggerheads after it refused to send its national team to India less than a month before the start of the 20-team tournament.

After Indian Premier League (IPL) owner Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) dropped veteran Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from their squad on the orders of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the PCB formally requested the apex body to relocate, citing security reasons.

The two sides then engaged in several talks, but a solution was not reached, and earlier this week the ICC issued a 24-hour ultimatum, formally announcing that it would reject BCB’s petition, saying the schedule of the match would remain intact.

However, the BCB stood firm on its stand and instead approached the ICC’s Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC) as per the latest development.

Amid the ongoing ICC-PCB tussle, 2009 champions Pakistan may also boycott the 2026 T20 World Cup if Bangladesh opts out, sources said on Thursday.

Commenting on the current developments, former PCB president Sethi defended the announced decision on the boycott, citing Naqvi’s understanding of all aspects of the game.

“Bangladesh decided to boycott the World Cup; now we have to see what the PCB decides,” Sethi said.

“Mohsin Naqvi understands the game and understands all aspects very well. Any decision taken by Mohsin Naqvi will be right,” he added.

Sethi further welcomed the PCB’s firm stand against the ICC, saying it would make India feel that the apex body is beyond India.

If other countries stand up after Pakistan, ICC will realize that this is not the Indian Cricket Council but the International Cricket Council.

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