Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh had accused the Pakistan Cricket Board of exploiting the Bangladesh situation and warned that players were the biggest losers in the T20 World Cup row.
Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has accused Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi and the PCB of “fishing in muddy waters” and attempting to create a “2 vs 1” situation by threatening to join Bangladesh in boycotting the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. While Singh did not specify who the move was directed against, he made it clear that he viewed Pakistan’s stance as unnecessary interference.
Harbhajan’s comments came after the International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed that Bangladesh had been replaced by Scotland for the tournament. Soon after the announcement, Naqvi said Pakistan’s participation in the event was not guaranteed and that he would consult the Pakistani Prime Minister before taking a final call. He also claimed that the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had suffered a serious “injustice.”
“Pakistan was fishing in muddy waters and trying the game of 2 vs 1,” Harbhajan told news agency PTI. “They already are playing in Sri Lanka, this wasn’t their matter. Why interfere where you are [not] needed? In the end, it is Bangladesh cricket team and its players who are losing. The players missing out on a World Cup participation is massive.”
Singh further stated that Bangladesh should not have outright rejected the ICC’s proposal and would have benefited from continued dialogue. Bangladesh had earlier argued that the team would not be secure in India following the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)’s decision to remove pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the Indian Premier League.
ALSO READ | Scotland Set to Replace Bangladesh in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 | Reports
The ICC, however, rejected Bangladesh’s security concerns, stating that an independent security team had assessed the situation and found no credible threat to either the team or Rahman. The governing body also maintained that there was insufficient time to relocate Bangladesh’s matches to another venue.
“They should have kept the channels open for discussion with the ICC before straightaway saying ‘no’ to coming to India. Had the T20 World Cup been played in England or Australia, they didn’t even stand a chance but here they could have actually made it to second round and may be cause a few upsets in Super Eights. So it’s no one’s loss but Bangladesh’s,” Harbhajan added.
This article follows WicketWatcher’s editorial standards. Learn more in our Editorial Policy or report an issue via our Corrections Policy.