KARACHI: Pakistan are reportedly considering skipping the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Colombo on February 15 against arch-rivals India in the group stage.

The move comes in response to the International Cricket Council (ICC) replacing Bangladesh with Scotland at the last minute.

According to insiders, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is reviewing various protest options and will keep all possibilities open even if the team participates in the tournament.

Sources indicated that skipping the India match would cost Pakistan only two points but would result in significant financial losses for the ICC.

PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi is scheduled to meet the recently selected national team for the tournament today.

He will consult with players on team strategy and discuss broader plans moving forward. Naqvi assured that the final decision on Pakistan’s participation would be taken in consultation with the central government.

“Prime Minister (Shehbaz Sharif) is not in the country now. We will announce the final decision after he (Prime Minister) returns,” Naqvi said when asked about Pakistan’s stand on the ICC decision on Bangladesh.

He further asserted that Bangladesh was treated unfairly by the apex body which he slammed as having “double standards”.

“Bangladesh has been treated unfairly. I said the same in the International Cricket Council (ICC) board meeting. You cannot have a double standard, one country can take any decision anytime and another country can do the complete opposite,” Naqvi continued.

“That is why Bangladesh is being treated unfairly and we have taken a stand that they should be allowed to play in the World Cup. They are an important stakeholder and this injustice should not be done,” he added.

Naqvi also referred to the BCCI’s influence in the ICC’s decision-making, noting that “one country cannot dictate to another” and warned that Pakistan would take a stand if it tried to dictate.

“The thing is, Bangladesh is the same member with Pakistan. And our position is that if you have given this help to Pakistan and India, you should do the same to Bangladesh,” he said.

“The main reason for this is that one country cannot dictate to another country. If this mandate is attempted, Pakistan certainly has its own position,” he said.

Pakistan’s T20 World Cup campaign begins on February 7 in Colombo against the Netherlands, followed by matches against USA on February 10, India on February 15 and Namibia on February 18.

The Super Eight phase will be held from February 21 to March 1 in Colombo and Kolkata, with the semi-finals on March 3 and 5 and the final on March 8 in either Ahmedabad or Colombo.

Pakistan Squad – T20 World Cup 2026:

Salman Ali Agha (catch), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Faqar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Nafe (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shahman Afridi, Usman Khan.

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