Pakistan ready to host Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup matches
Agency :
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has indicated it is ready to host Bangladesh’s matches in the Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) opted not to travel to India citing security concerns.
The situation has fuelled uncertainty over Bangladesh’s participation and the venues for their World Cup fixtures, with talks between the BCB and the International Cricket Council (ICC) still ongoing.
According to a Geo Super report on Sunday, PCB sources said Pakistan has formally communicated its willingness to step in and host Bangladesh’s matches if Sri Lankan venues are not available.
The sources added that all Pakistani grounds are fully prepared to stage World Cup games at short notice.
The standoff reportedly intensified after Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman was released from the IPL on BCCI instructions, citing unspecified developments, a move that led Bangladesh to refuse travel to India.
Earlier, Bangladesh government sports advisor Asif Nazrul said the team would not participate at the cost of the nation’s dignity, adding that the ICC has yet to fully grasp the seriousness of the security concerns.
“We are a cricket-crazy nation and we definitely want to play. But we do not want to play the World Cup at the cost of national humiliation, at the cost of the security of our cricketers, spectators and journalists, or at the cost of the country’s dignity,” Nazrul told reporters after a meeting on Wednesday.
Unhappy with the ICC’s response to its first communication, the BCB sent a second formal letter detailing specific travel-related security issues and requested that Bangladesh’s four scheduled matches in India be shifted to Sri Lanka.
However, the ICC is yet to issue an official response, instead seeking further clarification while maintaining public silence.
Despite the uncertainty, Bangladesh announced their T20 World Cup squad on Sunday, naming Litton Das as captain and Saif Hassan as vice-captain.
Bangladesh are scheduled to open their Group C campaign against the West Indies on February 7 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, alongside England, Italy and Nepal.