Pakistan delays decision on participation in T20 World Cup

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will take a final call on participating in the men’s T20 World Cup either on Friday or next Monday, chairman Mohsin Naqvi said after meeting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Lahore on Monday.

Naqvi took to social media to confirm that the issue was discussed at length during his meeting on Monday with the Prime Minister.

“I had a productive meeting with the Prime Minister and briefed him on the ICC matter. He directed that we resolve it while keeping all options on the table,” Naqvi tweeted.

“It was agreed that the final decision will be taken either on Friday or next Monday,” he added.

According to sources, Prime Minister Sharif told Naqvi that Pakistan should extend all possible support to Bangladesh, who were recently ousted from the tournament starting February 7.

The sources said the Prime Minister was briefed on multiple scenarios, including the possibility of Pakistan not sending its team for the World Cup, or participating in the tournament but boycotting the high-profile match against India scheduled for February 15, if that course of action helped Bangladesh cricket in any manner.

The PCB had earlier maintained that the government would take the final call on Pakistan’s participation in the event in view of the evolving situation following Bangladesh’s exit from the competition.

Bangladesh, who have been replaced by Scotland in the 20-team event, had sought shifting of its matches to Sri Lanka, citing security concerns in India but the ICC shot down the proposal, saying no such verifiable threat exists.