The cricketing world has been plunged right into a diplomatic firestorm following the Worldwide Cricket Council’s (ICC) resolution to interchange Bangladesh with Scotland for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. Amidst this upheaval, former Indian cricketer has launched a scathing assault on Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, labelling his latest threats to boycott the event as silly bravado.
Former Cricketer’s feedback come at a time when the geopolitical tensions between South Asian cricketing nations are spilling onto the sector. Naqvi not too long ago prompt that Pakistan may rethink its participation within the marquee occasion, hosted by India and Sri Lanka, in a present of solidarity with Bangladesh. The veteran, nonetheless, views this as a calculated political transfer that treats athletes as mere pawns.
Mohsin Naqvi below hearth as ex-India cricketer reacts sharply to T20 World Cup assertion
Talking to ANI, Atul Wassan didn’t mince phrases, accusing the PCB chief of utilizing cricket to attain “brownie factors” on the expense of his personal gamers. He argued that the risk to drag out of the 2026 World Cup is an try to “blackmail” the worldwide cricketing order.
“I feel that is only a bravado, and it’s silly bravado at greatest to simply eyeball ICC and blackmail the entire cricketing world order,” Wassan said. He emphasised that whereas politicians achieve mileage by taking such stances, it’s the gamers who face the “collateral harm.” Wassan famous that the cricketers themselves are sometimes left in the dead of night, performing as political capital for directors who need to increase their moustache in a show of ego.
The previous pacer’s remarks spotlight a rising concern that Pakistan’s help for Bangladesh—which was ejected from the event after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) refused to stick to the match schedule in India is much less about “equity” and extra about regional posturing.
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The Bangladesh ouster and their substitute in T20 World Cup 2026
The controversy started when the ICC formally introduced on Saturday that Scotland would exchange Bangladesh in Group C. The choice adopted a chronic standoff the place the BCB cited safety considerations and refused to journey to India, requesting their matches be moved to Sri Lanka. The ICC rejected this, citing an absence of “credible safety threats” and the logistical impossibility of shifting venues so near the February 7 begin date.
Naqvi has been a vocal critic of this transfer, alleging “double requirements” by the ICC. He argued that if particular preparations may very well be made for different nations, Bangladesh deserved related concessions. Naqvi went so far as to say that Pakistan’s closing resolution on participation rests with the federal government, hinting that if Pakistan withdraws, the ICC “can carry a twenty second crew.”
Nevertheless, the ICC’s stance stays agency. By changing the “Tigers” with Scotland, the highest-ranked non-qualified crew, the governing physique has signalled that the event will proceed with or with out those that refuse the schedule. Because the countdown to the World Cup begins, the main focus stays on whether or not Pakistan will observe by way of on its risk or if Wassan’s evaluation of political theater will show right.
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