{"id":550,"date":"2026-01-19T16:04:34","date_gmt":"2026-01-19T16:04:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.worldwatchalert.com\/?p=550"},"modified":"2026-01-19T16:04:37","modified_gmt":"2026-01-19T16:04:37","slug":"pcb-halts-t20-world-cup-2026-prep-after-backing-bangladesh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.worldwatchalert.com\/?p=550","title":{"rendered":"PCB Halts T20 World Cup 2026 Prep After Backing Bangladesh"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has suspended preparations for the ICC Men\u2019s T20 World Cup 2026<\/strong>, following Pakistan\u2019s decision to back Bangladesh\u2019s stance on boycotting matches in India, sources told <em>Geo News<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The ICC Men\u2019s T20 World Cup 2026 is scheduled to run from <strong>February 7 to March 8<\/strong>, with matches planned in <strong>India and Sri Lanka<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to sources, the Pakistan team management will be briefed soon on the future course of action. Officials have also been instructed to <strong>prepare a contingency plan<\/strong> in case Pakistan opts not to participate in the tournament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pakistan has formally expressed <strong>full support for Bangladesh\u2019s decision<\/strong>, terming Dhaka\u2019s security concerns about travelling to India as \u201creasonable and valid\u201d. Sources said Islamabad could <strong>reconsider its own participation<\/strong> if the matter regarding Bangladesh\u2019s safety is not resolved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Earlier reports indicated that Pakistan was already reviewing its stance on the tournament, while insiders stressed that <strong>no country should be pressured or threatened over hosting obligations<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On <strong>January 11<\/strong>, the PCB offered to <strong>host Bangladesh\u2019s T20 World Cup matches in Pakistan<\/strong> if Sri Lankan venues were unavailable. Officials said Pakistani stadiums are fully prepared, citing the successful hosting of recent international events including the <strong>Champions Trophy 2025<\/strong> and the <strong>ICC Women\u2019s Qualifier<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meanwhile, <strong>Cricket Ireland (CI)<\/strong> dismissed speculation about changes to its fixtures, confirming that Ireland\u2019s group-stage matches would remain in <strong>Sri Lanka<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve received definitive assurances that we will not move from the original schedule,\u201d a Cricket Ireland official said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A final decision on Bangladesh\u2019s participation is expected by <strong>January 21<\/strong>, following talks between the <strong>International Cricket Council (ICC)<\/strong> and the <strong>Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB)<\/strong> in Dhaka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While Bangladesh has reiterated its willingness to compete, it has requested that matches be held outside India, proposing <strong>Sri Lanka<\/strong> as an alternative venue. However, the ICC has maintained that the <strong>original schedule will remain unchanged<\/strong>, with Bangladesh placed in <strong>Group C<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bangladesh\u2019s opening match is scheduled against <strong>West Indies in Kolkata<\/strong>, followed by two more group fixtures at the same venue, before concluding in <strong>Mumbai<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The ICC has also informed the BCB that there is <strong>no specific security threat<\/strong> to the Bangladesh team. In the event of a withdrawal, <strong>Scotland<\/strong> is currently next in line as a replacement based on ICC rankings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has suspended preparations for the ICC Men\u2019s T20 World Cup 2026, following Pakistan\u2019s decision to back Bangladesh\u2019s stance on boycotting matches in India, sources told&hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":551,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[453,457,267,456,454],"class_list":["post-550","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports","tag-bangladesh-cricket","tag-icc-news","tag-pakistan-cricket","tag-pcb-decision","tag-t20-world-cup-2026"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>PCB Halts T20 World Cup 2026 Prep After Backing Bangladesh - 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