- Most senior Bangladeshi gamers favour collaborating in WC.
- ICC rejects Dhaka’s request to shift matches from India.
- BCB can both withdraw demand, or changed by one other staff.
LAHORE: Pakistan is more likely to boycott the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 if Bangladesh decides towards participation within the occasion over the problem of its stance of not travelling to India as a result of safety considerations, sources advised Geo Information on Thursday.
The sources, on Thursday, mentioned that Pakistan might boycott the occasion if the Worldwide Cricket Council (ICC) refuses to simply accept Dhaka’s demand to shift their matches from India within the subsequent month’s occasion.
Bangladesh have refused to play their matches in India, citing security considerations following soured political relations between the neighbours, and demanded to play them in Sri Lanka, which is co-hosting the event, as an alternative.
Political relations have soured between Dhaka and New Delhi in latest occasions, and cricket has been affected too. Bangladesh participant Mustafizur Rahman was dropped from this 12 months’s Indian Premier League (IPL) regardless of signing with its Kolkata franchise.
Dhaka then responded by banning IPL broadcasts within the nation and demanding to play their World Cup matches in Sri Lanka.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), after the ICC rejected its request, has reiterated its place towards touring India.
In the meantime, with their calls for to play their matches in Sri Lanka shot down by the sport’s international governing physique, Bangladesh discover themselves left with the tough choices of both withdrawing their demand or getting changed by one other staff within the international showpiece that begins on February 7.
BCB President Aminul Islam had earlier mentioned that he sought extra time from the cricket-governing physique to speak to his authorities over the matter.
The Bangladeshi authorities, as per sources, will take the gamers into confidence immediately over the mentioned matter, after which a choice is anticipated on the mentioned subject.
Most senior gamers, they added, are in favour of collaborating within the T20 World Cup.
The ICC said that altering the schedule below the circumstances, within the absence of any credible safety risk, may set a precedent that may jeopardise the sanctity of future ICC occasions.
As per the schedule, Bangladesh are drawn in Group C and scheduled to play their first three group matches in Kolkata — towards West Indies on February 7, Italy on February 9 and England on February 14 — earlier than concluding their group stage towards Nepal in Mumbai on February 17.
— Extra enter from Reuters
