Former PCB chief Ehsan Mani criticised the ICC’s governance as political tensions involving Pakistan and Bangladesh cast a shadow over the T20 World Cup 2026.
The build-up to the T20 World Cup 2026 has been clouded by controversy involving Pakistan and Bangladesh, raising serious questions about governance in world cricket. Bangladesh have been ejected from the tournament and replaced by Scotland, while Pakistan’s participation also remains uncertain, with the PCB threatening to boycott the event in solidarity with Bangladesh.
With the tournament approaching, the Mohsin Naqvi-led Pakistan Cricket Board is still awaiting a clear signal from the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Former Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ehsan Mani has openly expressed concern over the developments, accusing the ICC of failing to keep politics out of the sport. Speaking to Telecom Asia, Mani said the game had suffered due to the current structure of world cricket’s governing body.
“There should be a serious governance review of the ICC immediately. The only remedy, perhaps, lies in making a majority of the directors on the board independent with a constitutional change,” Mani said. “I feel cricket has lost direction for the way ICC is structured today,” he added.
Mani also reacted strongly to Bangladesh’s exclusion from the T20 World Cup, linking the issue to Mustafizur Rahman’s removal from the Indian Premier League. He suggested that the incident raised legitimate concerns about Bangladesh’s safety during the World Cup in India.
ALSO READ | Bangladesh Accuses ICC of Unfair Treatment After Early Exit from U19 World Cup
“It should never have been allowed to come to this stage. The BCCI, for one, shouldn’t have dropped a player (Mustafizur Rahman) from the IPL after accepting them in the auction. Bangladesh had a case where, if India cannot guarantee the security of one player, then questions about their team’s safety are relevant.”
Mani Points At Bangladesh’s Mistake
However, Mani also pointed out that the Bangladesh government failed to handle the matter decisively and placed too much responsibility on the Bangladesh Cricket Board.
“Bangladesh made a mistake—they should have had their government come forward to prevent them from going to India, rather than the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). Remember, India did it when they refused to travel to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy, to which Pakistan reciprocated, leading to the acceptance of the hybrid model,” Mani added.
The situation has put the ICC under increased scrutiny, with former administrators questioning whether the governing body can effectively separate cricket from political influence ahead of one of its marquee tournaments.
This article follows WicketWatcher’s editorial standards. Learn more in our Editorial Policy or report an issue via our Corrections Policy.