Pakistan’s participation in the T20 World Cup 2026 looks set after days of internal debate, with the team already booked to travel to Sri Lanka alongside Australia.
Despite earlier talk of a possible boycott, sources say the Pakistan squad is scheduled to fly from Lahore to Colombo on Monday via SriLankan Airlines. The booking has been made with the Australian team, showing clear signs that preparations are moving ahead.
The final call is expected by Friday, when PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi is likely to formally clear Pakistan’s participation. Senior officials remain confident the matter will be settled well before the squad departs for the tournament.
The doubts began after Bangladesh were removed from the World Cup following the ICC’s rejection of the BCB request to shift matches from India to Sri Lanka due to security concerns. Naqvi had raised the idea of a boycott in protest and in support of Bangladesh.
Since then, the PCB chairman has held wide-ranging consultations. He spoke to Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, President Asif Zardari, and senior figures from the military establishment to understand the broader view on the issue.
Naqvi also met former PCB chairmen Najam Sethi and Ramiz Raja. Both backed the idea of playing the tournament in Sri Lanka and advised against boycotting the high-profile India match.
“Despite the uncertainty over the participation on the World Cup, Pakistan team is booked with Australia team to fly out to Colombo via Air Lanka flight from Lahore.”
“We hope that by Friday the PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi will have cleared the team’s participation in the mega event.”
“Naqvi also took advice from President Asif Zardari and from military establishment before meeting two former PCB chairmen Najam Sethi and Ramiz Raja who were also in support of sending the team to Sri Lanka. They have also advices not to boycott the India game.”
Inside the dressing room, players have been asked to stay focused and positive as planning continues. The uncertainty has not stopped the squad from preparing for a long overseas stint.
“All the players have been told that they must remain in positive mood as far as participation in the World Cup is concerned. Some of the players from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa habe brought all their luggage from home keeping in mind that they will be out of the country for more than a month.”
Pakistan also have cricketing commitments before the World Cup begins. A three-match T20I series against Australia is scheduled to start in Lahore on Thursday, giving the team valuable game time ahead of the global event.
With political, military, and cricketing voices now aligned, Pakistan appear set to take part fully in the T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka, including the much-awaited clash against India.