The former Pakistan cricketer said that if the PCB has to boycott the matches against India, they should start with the U-19 World Cup instead of waiting for the U-20 World Cup.
Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has asked the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) not to boycott the match against India in the 2026 T20 World Cup but to protest against the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in a unique style. Earlier, Pakistan said it would consider boycotting the 2026 T20 World Cup if Bangladesh were excluded from the tournament.
But as feared, Bangladesh were replaced by Scotland over the weekend after they refused to play their matches in India. On Monday, PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi announced that he had a meeting with Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and a final decision on the boycott could be taken by next Friday or next Monday.
Basit Ali questions Pakistan Cricket Board
There are also rumors that Pakistan may only boycott the game against India to potentially hurt the finances of the ICC and BCCI. Basit Ali believes that this would be the wrong decision. The former batter, who played 19 Tests and 50 ODIs, said Pakistan can play their match against India but will wear black armbands to highlight the BCCI’s political clout.
“Pakistan should not boycott but wear a black armband and play India’s game,” Basit said on his YouTube channel BasitAliShow. He also added that the gentleman’s game is becoming increasingly political.
More from First cricketBasit Ali also questioned the PCB, saying that if they have to boycott the matches against India, they should start with the February 1 match between the two teams in the ongoing U-19 World Cup instead of waiting for the U-20 World Cup.
“Why wait until February 15 for the India-Pakistan T20 World Cup game? If you have to boycott, do it on February 1 for the Pakistan-India Under-19 World Cup match.”
Basit Ali added that just like Australia boycotted Sri Lanka in the past, Pakistan can also do the same but the consequences will be felt in the cricketing world.
“Do this at the Under-19 World Cup and you will see the effect,” he added, while noting that any such move would be detrimental to cricket.
Meanwhile, reports say that the ICC may take strict measures such as imposing sanctions, suspending all bilateral matches and more if Pakistan decides to boycott the T20 World Cup.