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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is considering a major decision regarding the \u201cinappropriate attitude\u201d of the International Cricket Council (ICC) following the exclusion of Bangladesh from the tournament, ARY News reported, citing sources.<\/strong><\/p>\n Sources stated that Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi will meet with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif tomorrow, Monday.<\/p>\n The PCB Chairman will seek guidance on whether the country should participate in the T20 World Cup.<\/p>\n Sources added that Pakistan is currently deliberating on withdrawing from the tournament entirely. If Pakistan does participate, it is unlikely to play its scheduled match against arch-rival India.<\/p>\n Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi said on Saturday that a final decision on Pakistan\u2019s participation in the ICC Men\u2019s T20 World Cup 2026 will be taken by the federal government, amid growing uncertainty following Bangladesh\u2019s exclusion from the tournament.<\/p>\n With less than a month remaining before the start of the 20-team T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held in India, the International Cricket Council (ICC) earlier on Saturday reportedly confirmed Scotland as Bangladesh\u2019s replacement, after Dhaka refused to send its team to India.<\/p>\n The crisis began earlier this month when the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) declined to tour India, citing security and political concerns that escalated after Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman was released by Kolkata Knight Riders from the Indian Premier League (IPL) on the instructions of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).<\/p>\n Despite several rounds of talks between the ICC and BCB, no agreement was reached. The ICC subsequently rejected Bangladesh\u2019s request to relocate its matches and issued a 24-hour ultimatum, after which Bangladesh maintained its stance. The governing body then moved to safeguard the tournament schedule by turning to Scotland.<\/p>\n The developments have sparked speculation that Pakistan, winners of the 2009 T20 World Cup, could also consider a boycott in solidarity with Bangladesh.<\/p>\n Speaking to reporters in Lahore, Naqvi said the PCB would follow the direction of the Government of Pakistan before taking any position on the ICC decision.<\/p>\n \u201cPrime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is currently not in the country,\u201d Naqvi said. \u201cWe will announce the final decision after he returns.\u201d<\/p>\n Naqvi criticised the ICC for what he described as \u201cdouble standards\u201d in its handling of Bangladesh\u2019s case, arguing that the South Asian nation had been treated unfairly.<\/p>\n \u201cBangladesh has been treated unfairly. I said the same in the ICC board meeting,\u201d he said. \u201cYou cannot have a situation where one country can take decisions whenever it wants, and another country is denied the same flexibility.\u201d<\/p>\n He added that Bangladesh, like Pakistan, is a full ICC member and deserves equal consideration, including the possibility of a hybrid model, similar to arrangements previously used for Pakistan-India tournaments.<\/p>\n \u201cOne country cannot dictate another,\u201d Naqvi said, in an apparent reference to the influence of the BCCI. \u201cIf such dictation is attempted, Pakistan will have its own stance.\u201d<\/p>\n The ICC has yet to issue a detailed public statement on the replacement process, but officials have indicated the priority remains protecting the integrity and schedule of the T20 World Cup 2026, even as geopolitical tensions continue to cast a shadow over the tournament.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n