Pakistan accused of influencing Bangladesh's T20 World Cup boycott amid ICC stand-off

Mohsin Naqvi accused [Source: AFP]

Former Indian cricketer Madan Lal has made serious allegations, claiming that Pakistan are behind Bangladesh’s decision to skip the 2026 T20 World Cup in India. According to him, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi has “instigated” Bangladesh to take this step. 

Madan Lal described Bangladesh’s stance as “foolish” and said it would hurt Bangladesh far more than it would affect India. He also made it clear that India, as the host nation, will not “lose anything” if Bangladesh chooses not to participate.

Bangladesh reiterates stance about India travel

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) held a meeting and once again confirmed that it will not travel to India for the tournament. The BCB believes the International Cricket Council (ICC) has treated them unfairly by rejecting their request to move their matches to Sri Lanka or another neutral venue. 

However, the ICC explained that such a change is not possible because the tournament is about to begin on February 7, and there is not enough time to reorganise venues and logistics. The ICC also dismissed Bangladesh’s concerns about security in India.

Madan Lal calls Bangladesh’s decision ‘foolish’

Sharing his opinion, Madan Lal said, “I think it’s foolish, I can say that because India is not going to lose anything. Bangladesh is going to lose everything because not participating in such a big tournament from the commercial point of view, Bangladesh is going to be quite a loss.” 

He emphasized that Bangladesh would miss out on revenue and valuable experience by staying away from such a major event.

Pakistan’s alleged role behind the scenes

Lal further accused Pakistan of influencing Bangladesh’s decision. He stated, “I think it’s Pakistan instigating them not to participate in this tournament. They just want to bring India down.” 

He also pointed out that Bangladesh is scheduled to play matches in Kolkata and Mumbai, adding, “They are playing in Mumbai, and it is one of the safest places in India.” According to Lal, this situation is more about politics than cricket.

Reportedly, the ICC held a vote among its 16 member nations regarding Bangladesh’s request for a venue change. Fourteen countries voted against the proposal, while only Pakistan and Bangladesh supported it. Reports also suggest that Pakistan sent an email to the BCB before the vote, promising support. 

A PCB source said, “The PCB has said in the e-mail that the demand by the Bangladesh board is justified and must be accepted.”

Former Pakistan cricketer Rashid Latif even urged the PCB to boycott the World Cup in support of Bangladesh. He said, “Pakistan not playing would be like stopping the World Cup. Pakistan is the key.” However, he also admitted that such a move could lead to sanctions.

Bangladesh stands firm despite ICC warning

Despite the ICC warning that Bangladesh could be expelled and replaced by Scotland, BCB President Aminul Islam remained firm. 

He said, “We want to play the World Cup, but we won’t play in India. We will keep fighting.” Bangladesh believes the ICC would also suffer, as Islam claimed, “The ICC will miss out on 200 million people watching the World Cup.”

For now, Bangladesh’s participation remains uncertain, even as the tournament approaches rapidly.