Pakistan's players celebrate their team's victory during the Asia Cup cricket match between Bangladesh and Pakistan at Dubai International Cricket stadium in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025. (AP Photo)
BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla said that Pakistan are needlessly intervening in the India vs Bangladesh T20 World Cup situation and provoking as well as misleading the latter country. Bangladesh was on Saturday replaced in the showpiece event by Scotland after the Bangladesh government and the Bangladesh Cricket Board refused to let their team travel to India citing security concerns.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi had also criticized the decision of replacing Bangladesh and blasted ICC for “double standards,” saying Bangladesh was treated unfairly. He added that Pakistan’s participation in the World Cup would be decided at the highest government level, pending Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s return from abroad. The PCB had also urged the ICC to consider a hybrid model for Bangladesh, similar to Pakistan’s arrangement, which allows Pakistan to play all its T20 World Cup matches in Colombo.
“Pakistan is intervening in the matter without any reason and provoking Bangladesh… Everyone knows the brutality done by Pakistan on the Bangladeshis, and now they are trying to mislead them, which is completely wrong…,” Shukla said on Monday to ANI.
#WATCH | Delhi | On Scotland will replace Bangladesh at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla says, "We wanted Bangladesh to play and we also assured full security, but since they have made this decision, it is very difficult to change the entire… pic.twitter.com/HZ7XecHOAX
— ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2026
“We wanted Bangladesh to play and we also assured full security, but since they have made this decision, it is very difficult to change the entire schedule at the last moment. This is why Scotland was brought in..,” he added.
Pakistan on Sunday had announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming 2026 T20 World Cup to be held in India and Sri Lanka. However, the announcement is no guarantee of participation, with Aaqib Javed, the former fast bowler who is the PCB Director High Performance and member men’s national selection committee reiterating that they will wait for the Pakistan government’s decision in the matter.
The ICC in turn could slap heavy sanctions on Pakistan if they do pull out of the tournament, including suspension of all bilateral series, denial of No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for foreign players in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), and exclusion from the Asia Cup.
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