November 2024: “India not coming to Pakistan (for the Champions Trophy) is unacceptable. We will not accept a hybrid model.” That was Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chair Mohsin Naqvi after the BCCI had requested the ICC to relocate India’s 2025 Champions Trophy matches to Dubai. There were genuine security threats and even the ICC’s internal security assessment corroborated it. The ICC Board approved a hybrid model and India played all their matches in Dubai in a title-winning campaign. Yes, as a quid pro quo, the ICC Board also decided that until 2027, all the India-Pakistan matches would be played at neutral venues.
September 2025: The PCB demanded that match referee Andy Pycroft be replaced, else Pakistan wouldn’t take the field for their game against UAE at the 2025 Asia Cup. The controversy stemmed from the “no-handshake” in the India-Pakistan fixture and the PCB accused Pycroft of mishandling the situation. The ICC stood firm and ruled that Pycroft “didn’t breach any match protocols”. The PCB eventually relented and Pakistan belatedly took the field. Better late than never.
January 24, 2026: Naqvi cast doubt on Pakistan’s participation at the upcoming T20 World Cup. “Our stance (regarding World Cup participation) will be what the government of Pakistan instructs me,” he told reporters. This was on the heels of the ICC’s decision to replace Bangladesh with Scotland.
January 25, 2026: Naqvi met the members of the Pakistan’s T20 World Cup squad in Lahore to tell them that the Pakistan government would decide the future course of action as regards the participation in the ICC showpiece. The players nodded in the affirmative.
January 26, 2026: Naqvi met Pakistan prime minister Shehbaz Sharif and then came up with a post on X (formerly Twitter) that said: “Had a productive meeting with the Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz (Shehbaz) Sharif. Briefed him on the ICC matter, and he directed that we resolve it while keeping all options on the table. It was agreed that the final decision will be taken either on Friday or next Monday.”
What next?
It is learnt that a total boycott of the T20 World Cup has been ruled out, while forfeiting the India game on February 15 in Colombo remains an option. But that won’t be easy either. Like all other participating boards, the PCB, too, has signed the Member Participation Agreement, which is a legal document. A breach will invite serious sanctions from the ICC. And if Pakistan forfeit the India game, there’s every possibility that the host broadcaster will drag the PCB to the court and will seek compensation. From the broadcaster’s point of view, around $38 million is directly linked to that game through ad slots, branded shows and sponsorship integrations. The PCB will have to face the legal music. Naqvi has his roots in the media and should know this.
Why is Naqvi doing this?
On the face of it, Pakistan mulling on boycotting or forfeiting a game at the T20 World Cup because Bangladesh aren’t playing is “begani shadi me Abdulla deewana (getting inordinately interested in others’ affairs)”, to borrow from Raj Kapoor’s Jis Desh Men Ganga Behti Hai. From Naqvi’s perspective, though, this is political grandstanding. The elite political class in Pakistan – Naqvi is the interior minister – likes to suffer fools (read, awaam) gladly.
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