- Sanaullah acknowledges financial repercussions of boycott.
- Support for Dhaka to benefit in long run, says PM’s adviser.
- Pakistan-Bangladesh ties could enter new phase: Sanaullah.
Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah on Saturday called for Pakistan to “stand with Bangladesh” after its decision to avoid travelling to India for the T20 World Cup 2026, noting the possible long-term advantages.
“I think we need to stand with Bangladesh on this. It will be in our interest in the long run,” he said while speaking on Geo News programme ‘Naya Pakistan’.
The senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader, however, acknowledged the financial repercussions for Pakistan cricket in the event of a potential boycott of the tournament.
“Maybe we will get less money. We can manage with less money, but the decision will have far-reaching impacts if Pakistan stands with Bangladesh today,” he added.
Earlier in day, the ICC replaced Bangladesh with Scotland in the T20 World Cup 2026 over Dhaka’s refusal to send its team to India for the event.
Soon after, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chief Mohsin Naqvi said that the board would decide about participation in the tournament in line with the government’s directives.
“Prime minister [Shehbaz Sharif] is currently not in the country. We will announce the final decision after he [PM] returns to the country,” Naqvi added.
Meanwhile, Sanaullah said that Pakistan’s support for Bangladesh could help bridge the historical gaps between the two nations, dating back to the fall of Dhaka in 1971.
“We may enter a new phase of relations where Pakistan and Bangladesh are like two brothers,” he added.
The PML-N leader emphasised that Pakistan’s support should be for Bangladesh as a country, not for any particular political party or government.
Referring to the removal of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the Indian Premier League (IPL), he said that the Indian cricket board sent back the player without looking into his political affiliation.
PCB opposes Bangladesh’s exclusion
Pakistan has extended its support to Dhaka in its decision to avoid travelling to India, and also wrote a letter to the ICC, expressing support for the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) concerns.
Speaking to the media earlier today, the PCB chief said that Bangladesh has been “treated unfairly” by the ICC, saying Pakistan would announce the final decision on its participation after receiving directives from the government.
“I said the same in the board meeting of the ICC. You cannot have double standards, where one country can make whatever decision whenever and do the total opposite for another country,” Naqvi said.
“The thing is that Bangladesh is the same member as Pakistan. And our stance is that if you have done this favour with Pakistan and India, then you should do the same with Bangladesh,” he added.
Naqvi condemned any attempt by “one country” to dictate another, saying Pakistan would present its own stance if such attempts were made.
India-Bangladesh tensions
Relation strained between Bangladesh and India after Bangladesh’s former prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled to New Delhi following protests against her.
Political tensions have spilled into cricket.
Bangladesh bowler Mustafizur Rahman was dropped from this year’s IPL despite signing with its Kolkata franchise. Bangladesh responded by banning IPL broadcasts in the country and demanding to play World Cup matches in Sri Lanka.
The BCB also refused to send its team to India, which is co-hosting the T20 World Cup 2026 alongside Sri Lanka, citing concerns about the safety and security of players and staff members.
The standoff mirrors previous tensions in South Asian cricket.
For the Champions Trophy last year, the Indian cricket board stuck to its policy of not touring Pakistan because of the strained political ties between the bitter neighbours, who play each other only in ICC events.
Like for the 2023 Asia Cup in Pakistan, a ‘hybrid model’ was agreed on under which India were allowed to play their Champions Trophy matches in Dubai to salvage the tournament.
Under the agreement running until 2027, Pakistan are scheduled to play their T20 World Cup 2026 matches in Sri Lanka.
The 20-team World Cup is set to begin on February 7.
