The ICC has made it clear that any breach of Pakistan’s participation agreement would result in severe sanctions, including suspension from global and continental tournaments, as well as the withdrawal of No Objection Certificates for foreign players in the Pakistan Super League.
Despite these warnings, Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi confirmed that “all options” remain on the table following a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, with a final decision expected by Friday, January 30, or Monday, February 2. The ICC is reportedly considering recalling Bangladesh if Pakistan withdraws from the tournament, allowing them to play all their matches in Sri Lanka as per their demand.
Government Involvement and Potential Consequences
The matter has now escalated beyond cricket administration into a government-led decision-making process. Pakistan announced their 15-member squad but made participation contingent on government approval. However, sources suggest Pakistan is unlikely to boycott either the tournament or the India match, as they would be playing at venues of their own choosing. The ICC is reportedly considering recalling Bangladesh if Pakistan withdraws, allowing them to play all matches in Sri Lanka as originally requested, which would pose minimal logistical challenges for the tournament schedule.
The Bangladesh Trigger and Pakistan’s Response
The controversy began when Bangladesh Cricket Board demanded their World Cup group matches be shifted out of India, citing security concerns following the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s directive to Kolkata Knight Riders to remove Mustafizur Rahman from their squad.
After multiple rounds of negotiations failed, the ICC replaced Bangladesh with Scotland, effectively ending their World Cup campaign. Pakistan was the only ICC member nation to support Bangladesh in this standoff. PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi termed the ICC’s decision as “unfair” to Bangladesh and announced that Pakistan would review its participation in the tournament, particularly their match against India.
