Pakistan Captain Salman Ali Agha Reignites Bangladesh-ICC Controversy Ahead Of T20 World Cup

Pakistan cricket team skipper Salman Ali Agha reignited the ICC-Bangladesh controversy at the T20 World Cup 2026 captains' day press conference in Colombo on Thursday. Bangladesh were removed from the competition after refusing to travel to India for their group stage matches. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) requested ICC to shift their matches from India citing 'security concerns' but the global governing body made it clear that no changes will be made to the tournament schedule. Following Bangladesh's exit, Pakistan announced that they will take part in the competition but will boycott the game against India on February 15. Agha was asked about Bangladesh's exit during the press conference and he said that it was a 'pity' that Bangladesh were no longer part of the competition. 

“Bangladeshis are our brothers; we are grateful for their support for Pakistan. It's a pity that they are not playing in the tournament,"  Salman Ali Agha said as quoted by RevSportz.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Youth and Sports Advisor Asif Nazrul thanked Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who stated that Pakistan's decision to boycott their match against India was a show of solidarity with Bangladesh in the wake of the country's removal from the tournament.

In a Facebook post on Thursday, Nazrul acknowledged Sharif's decision as a protest against Bangladesh's removal from the multi-nation event. “Thank you, Pakistan,” he wrote in the post.

He also quoted remarks made by Sharif during a meeting of Pakistan's cabinet in Islamabad on Wednesday, in which he explained the rationale behind the boycott.

"Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said his country has decided to boycott the India match in protest of removing Bangladesh from the T20 World Cup. We will not play the match against India, he said to cabinet members on Wednesday. Because there should be no politics on the playground. We took this decision very thoughtfully. We should totally stand by Bangladesh. I think this is a very appropriate decision," he added.

(With IANS inputs)

Topics mentioned in this article

Agha Salman Pakistan Cricket Team Bangladesh Cricket Team Pakistan Cricket Board International Cricket Council BCCI T20 World Cup 2026 Cricket