Mohsin Naqvi, Jay Shah and Aminul Islam (Source:X)
In a significant development, the Bangladesh Cricket Board has reportedly placed fresh demands before the Jay Shah's ICC following Bangladesh's controversial exit from the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
BCB president Aminul Islam personally raised the issue during high-level talks in Lahore, where he met PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi and senior ICC officials.
It is important to note that Bangladesh were forced out of the tournament after refusing to travel to India, citing security and political concerns. Despite multiple requests to shift their matches to neutral venues, the ICC declined their request, citing logistical challenges.
As a result, Bangladesh withdrew from the competition on government instructions and was later replaced by Scotland for the 2026 T20 World Cup.
A major point of friction was the removal of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the Kolkata Knight Riders squad following directions from the BCCI. This move came amid growing concerns over incidents involving minorities in Bangladesh, which further escalated tensions.
BCB states major conditions for ICC to resolve T20 World Cup standoff
During the Lahore meeting held on Sunday (February 8), Aminul Islam demanded monetary compensation from the ICC for Bangladesh’s forced withdrawal, as reported by Telecom Asia Sport.
In addition, the BCB requested the hosting rights for one global ICC event, with the Under-19 World Cup in 2028 as a preferred option.
Reports also revealed that the ICC delegation, led by Deputy Chairman Imran Khawaja, assured both Bangladesh and Pakistan that these demands would be placed before the ICC Board for discussion.
Bangladesh sees this compensation and hosting opportunity as necessary to offset both financial losses and damaged reputation.
Pakistan emerged as the only major supporter of Bangladesh during this dispute, turning the issue into what PCB officials described as a matter of respect and principle rather than just scheduling.
PCB's demand from ICC
While Bangladesh focused on compensation and hosting rights, Pakistan placed its own set of strong conditions before the ICC to end the boycott of the February 15 T20 World Cup match against India in Colombo.
PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who is also Pakistan’s Interior Minister, made it clear that Pakistan’s participation would not come without assurances. According to the reports (The Hindu), the PCB placed three key demands before the ICC.
First, Pakistan asked for an increase in its annual ICC funding, arguing that its commercial value and cricketing contribution deserve better financial recognition.
Second, Naqvi pushed for the revival of bilateral cricket between India and Pakistan, which has been suspended for years due to political tensions. The PCB believes that the ICC should actively facilitate talks between the two boards.
Third, Pakistan raised concerns about on-field conduct, specifically the no-handshake incident during the Asia Cup. Naqvi emphasised that players must uphold the spirit of the game and follow basic cricketing traditions, including post-match handshakes.
Final Decision soon to be made on PAK-IND boycott
Despite the progress, the final decision on whether Pakistan will play against India will be made by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, as the original boycott was announced by the Government of Pakistan.
Naqvi is expected to meet the Prime Minister within the next 24-48 hours.
With the T20 World Cup already started, all sides (ICC, PCB and BCB) are under pressure to reach a resolution.
