Pakistan’s T20 WC Participation in Doubt After ICC-BCB Standoff

The ongoing Bangladesh Cricket Board-ICC saga regarding the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 has been the talk of the town lately. Now, reports have emerged stating that the BCB have asked Pakistan for help to put pressure on the ICC to relocate their matches from India to Sri Lanka.

However, the cricket governing body has been constantly refusing BCB's demands, which has left the Bangla Tigers frustrated. Meanwhile, it's now being reported that Pakistan cricket team may also consider participating in the upcoming major event.

Will Pakistan Play T20 World Cup 2026?

The Pakistan Cricket Board is likely to rethink its participation in the T20 World Cup 2026 if the ongoing ICC BCB controversy remains unresolved. If this issue remains unsolved till the start of the T20 World Cup, then Pakistan T20 World Cup 2026 participation is likely to remain in doubt. It can be a blow to ICC as Pakistan is one of the best cricket teams in the world.

"The Bangladesh government contacted officials in Pakistan to seek support regarding their participation in the upcoming T20 World Cup and received a positive response. Pakistan has indicated to us that they could reconsider their own participation if Bangladesh’s issue is not addressed," a source was quoted as saying by NDTV Sports.

Explained: Why Bangladesh Does Not Want to Travel to India?

The BCB ICC controversy began when the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) asked the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the squad ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.

The reason why BCCI asked for Rahman's release was the ongoing political tensions between the two neighboring countries. Last year in December, a Hindu factory worker was brutally lynched by a group of Bangladeshi people. The incident was strongly criticised on social media, especially by the Indian users. Afterwards, several religious group leaders asked for a boycott of Bangladesh and demanded for the ties to be cut ties with the nation.

This is when the BCCI decided not to let Mustafizur Rahman take part in the Indian Premier League, the biggest cricket league in the world. He was the only Bangladesh cricketer who was bought by any franchise during the auction. As a result, the BCB felt disrespected and later decided not travel to India for the T20 World Cup 2026 and pled ICC to change their venues.

They even suggested ICC to swap their group with Ireland; however, the plea was rejected. Currently, the schedule remains unchanged and BCB is also firm with their decision not to travel to India. It would be interesting to see if Bangladesh and Pakistan will participate in the major event or not.