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Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha brought the ICC issue with Bangladesh back into the spotlight during the Captain’s Day press conference for the 2026 T20 World Cup in Colombo on Thursday, February 5. Salman expressed disappointment over the Bangladesh team not being able to participate in the grand event, calling their absence unfortunate.
Bangladesh were excluded from the tournament after refusing to travel to India for the group stage. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) asked the International Cricket Federation to move the tournament out of neighboring India due to security concerns, but the governing body refused to change the existing schedule.
Bangladeshis are our brothers – Salman Ali Agha reignites debate
After Bangladesh was disqualified, Pakistan confirmed their participation but decided to boycott the match scheduled for February 15 against India.
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During the captain’s day press conference, Salman Ali Agha was asked about Bangladesh’s absence and said it was a pity that they would no longer be playing the tournament. He added that Bangladesh has always supported Pakistan and called them brothers.
RevSportz quoted Salman Ali Agha as saying: “Bangladesh are our brothers; we are grateful for their support to Pakistan. It is a pity that they are not participating in the tournament.”
Salman Ali Agha shares his passion for leading the national cricket team in the World Cup. The captain hopes the team will achieve excellent results under his leadership.
“This is my first World Cup as captain and I am very excited about it. I hope the team performs well under my leadership,” Salman Ali Agha added.
Bangladeshi sports adviser thanks Pakistan PM for supporting Bangladesh
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Youth and Sports Advisor Asif Nazrul publicly thanked Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif after Pakistan decided to boycott the match against India. He said the move showed support for Bangladesh after their exit from the World Cup.
“Thank you, Pakistan,” he wrote in a Facebook post on Thursday.
Nazrul called the boycott a protest against Bangladesh’s exclusion. He also quoted Sharif’s speech at the Pakistan Cabinet meeting in Islamabad on Wednesday. The Prime Minister explained that the decision was taken after careful consideration, adding that politics should not enter the realm of sport.
Uncertainty over India-Pakistan conflict; ICC responds to PCB stance
India and Pakistan are drawn in Group A of the 2026 T20 World Cup co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. All matches involving Pakistan will be played in Sri Lanka.
Pakistan will begin their campaign against the Netherlands on Saturday, February 7, at the Sinhala Sports Club, Colombo. The much-awaited clash between India and Pakistan is scheduled to take place on February 15 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
The India-Pakistan match remains one of the most important matches in all ICC tournaments, with the two teams usually being drawn in the same group despite political tensions. After Pakistan planned to boycott the match against India, questions were raised about what would happen if the two sides met later in the tournament.
The International Cricket Council reacted to Pakistan’s stance and expressed hope that the Pakistan board would reconsider its decision on selective participation.
