Mohsin Naqvi is arguably among the most limelight-seeking administrators in world cricket today. Ever since he has taken charge of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Naqvi has been an interesting leader by all metrics. While he is trying to create an image of being a no-nonsense leader, more often than not, those plans haven't worked out.
On Monday (January 26), Naqvi held a lengthy meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif regarding the cricket team's participation in T20 World Cup 2026. There were speculations that Pakistan would possibly boycott the India match if not the entire tournament, even with potential ICC sanctions awaiting them if they took that route.
At the end of the meeting, the only development that came out is that the Pakistan government would give their decision either on Friday (January 30) or Monday (February 2). From the outset, it just seems like deliberate delaying tactics and considering the backout consequences, Pakistan might end up deciding to participate.
Here are three previous incidents when Naqvi and PCB threatened, only to make U-turns:
When India refused to travel to Pakistan for Champions Trophy 2025, Naqvi threatened to include Sri Lanka as replacement. Ultimately, India ended up playing their matches with Dubai as the neutral venue, including the India-Pakistan fixture
During Asia Cup 2025, Naqvi and PCB had strong reservations about Andy Pycroft as match referee after the 'no handshake' incident and threatened to boycott remaining tournament unless Pycroft was sacked. Pycroft stayed and Pakistan also continued to play.
For T20 World Cup 2026, PCB and Naqvi stated that they would also boycott the tournament if Bangladesh were removed. As thing stands, Bangladesh are replaced by Scotland while Pakistan followed by announcing their World Cup squad, although participation confirmation remain.
