Pakistan announced their T20 WC squad on Sunday, January 25.
Pakistan named their 15-man squad for the T20 World Cup 2026 on Sunday, January 25, 2026, but it seems their participation is dependent on receiving the nod from the Pakistan government. Pakistan is placed in Group A along with India, the USA, the Netherlands, and Namibia, and will play all of their games in Sri Lanka.
“Naqvi has decided to meet the players of the World Cup squad announced on Sunday to brief them on the team’s participation in the T20I World Cup, as there remains uncertainty after Bangladesh was thrown out of the World Cup in an unjust decision,” Telecom Asia Sport quoted a source as saying on Sunday.
“Players, including skipper Salman Agha, have discussed this and were slightly uncertain whether they should keep preparing for the World Cup or not, and in this regard, the chairman’s briefing will help them,” the source added.
Naqvi’s briefing comes after he continuously supported Bangladesh's stance and questioned the ICC's handling of the problem, even though the tournament timetable remains unchanged. Notably, Bangladesh remained rigid in their stance of not traveling to India and was replaced by ICC, as Scotland took their place in Group C.
Naqvi's meeting is thus expected to serve two functions: to reassure the players that preparation must continue regardless of administrative noise and to communicate where things stand with the government-level decision-making that now hangs over the campaign.
Aaqib Javed, PCB Director of High Performance and member of the national selection committee, clarified that the selector's role ends when the state's call begins. In other words, Pakistan has decided on a team but has yet to ratify the event.
“We are selectors, and our job is to pick the team. We’ve announced the team very close to the deadline. The government will decide on our participation, so I can say nothing on that front. That’s what the chairman has said, too, so we’ll wait for their decision,” Javed said after the squad announcement, as quoted by ESPNCricinfo.
Aaqib Javed effectively removed the next step from the selection committee's control by emphasizing that the government will make the decision and anchoring his position to what the chairman has stated.
Announcing a World Cup roster this close to the deadline typically indicates late fitness tests, role debates, or form-based decisions. Here, it emphasizes something different: Pakistan is ready to compete while also waiting to find out if it will be permitted to.
The players' immediate worry is practical: World Cup preparation runs on tight schedules, with conditioning blocks, role clarity, travel logistics, and match readiness planned months in advance.