Pakistan take U-Turn on BOYCOTT threat over Bangladesh ‘venue change’ demand

Pakistan will not pull out of ICC T20 World Cup 2026 even if Bangladesh cricket team’s demands are not met by the world body ahead of the tournament next month.

Pakistan cricket team were attempting to throw fuel over the fire stoked by Bangladesh Cricket Board against the International Cricket Council and the Board of Control for Cricket in India. The BCB have demanded that their matches in the T20 World Cup 2026, beginning next month be shifted out of India due to ‘security concerns’ for their players.

Pakistan media had started speculating last week that Pakistan cricket team may also pull out of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 if Bangladesh’s demands were not met and they were replaced by Scotland in the tournament. The ICC have informed BCB that there is no credible threat to the Bangladesh cricketers and their matches will not be shifted.

Bangladesh have been given time until Wednesday, January 21, to confirm whether they want to go ahead with participation in the T20 World Cup 2026 with their Group C league stage matches set to take place in Kolkata and Mumbai.

According to Revsportz website, PCB sources informed that there was no chance of Pakistan cricket team pulling out of the tournament. “Nope, this is not the PCB’s stand,” PCB source was quoted as saying by Revsportz website.

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The source added that since Pakistan are scheduled to play all their matches in Sri Lanka as per the pre-tournament agreement finalised in early 2025, there are no grounds for the PCB to withdraw from the World Cup.

“Pakistan don’t have any grounds to do so, because the ICC would point out that Pakistan are already playing their matches in Sri Lanka. People just float such things to fire up the issue,” the PCB source added.

PAKISTAN SHOWS SUPPORT!
According to Pakistani media, PCB may reconsider participating in the T20 World Cup 2026 if ICC does not approve Bangladesh’s venue change demand. ❌
A surprising move from that could have major implications for the T20 WC#PakistanCricket pic.twitter.com/sUwO8aMILc
— Sufiyan Bhuyain (@BhuyanSufi80224) January 18, 2026

Pakistan media outlet Geo News reported that Bangladesh had reached out to Pakistan seeking ‘diplomatic’ and cricket support in the midst of their dispute with the ICC. The standoff began after the BCCI instructed Indian Premier League franchise Kolkata Knight Riders, owned by Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan, to drop Mustafizur Rahman from their squad. Mustrafizur had been bought by KKR for Rs 9.2 crore at the IPL 2026 mini auction last month.

As a result, Bangladesh banned the broadcast of the IPL 2026 in the country and formally wrote to the ICC requesting that their scheduled T20 World Cup 2026 group matches be moved out of India. Drawn in Group C, Bangladesh are slated to play their matches in Mumbai and Kolkata. The BCB cited ‘security and safety’ concerns for their players, staff and officials, but the request was rejected by the ICC, which reportedly assessed the threat level at Indian venues as ‘nil to negligible’.

The BCB last week proposed swap with Ireland to Group B, as they are scheduled to play all their league matches in Sri Lanka. “Among other points, the possibility of moving Bangladesh to a different group as a means of facilitating the matter with minimum logistical adjustments was discussed,” the BCB said in a press release. However, the ICC reportedly assured Ireland that no such swap would take place.

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The Times Of Bengal