LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will today decide on the participation of the national team in the 2026 T20 World Cup, according to reports. Jio News On Sunday.

PCB president Mohsin Naqvi is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at 6 pm, when a final decision on Pakistan’s participation in the tournament is likely to be taken.

The development followed reports of a possible boycott by Pakistan after the International Cricket Council (ICC) rejected the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (PCB) request to shift their matches to a venue outside India.

The BCB sought a change after Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman was dropped from the Indian Premier League (IPL) on the instructions of the Indian cricket board, sparking outrage in Bangladesh.

However, the ICC replaced Bangladesh in Saturday’s match with Scotland, making it impossible to revise the schedule so close to the start of the matches on February 7.

Bangladesh’s exclusion later fueled speculation that Pakistan might pull out of the event.

PCB chief Naqvi had earlier met the Prime Minister on January 26. Sources now say that an official announcement on Pakistan’s participation will be made after today’s meeting.

The decision to release the team’s T20 World Cup 2026 jersey, which was earlier postponed due to “unavoidable reasons”, is also expected to follow the participation verdict.

Meanwhile, the PCB has prepared a contingency plan in case Pakistan does not participate.

Sources have confirmed that the four-team domestic tournament will be held in Lahore, comprising Pakistan’s senior team and the Shaheens Under-18 team, who are divided into four teams.

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