The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 is scheduled to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka from February 7. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has left the decision of Pakistan’s participation in the tournament to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Now Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will decide whether the Pakistani team will participate in the T20 World Cup or not. The final decision on Pakistan’s participation in the tournament is expected in the next few days. Regarding this, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi told on Monday, January 26 on X (earlier Twitter) that he has met the Prime Minister. “Had a positive meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. I briefed him about the ICC case, and he directed that a solution be found while keeping all options open. It was decided that the final decision will be taken on Friday or next Monday,” he wrote in his post.
Will Pakistan be the second team to withdraw from the T20 World Cup?
If Pakistan withdraws from the T20 World Cup 2026, it will become the second team to withdraw from the tournament. Recently, Bangladesh also withdrew from the tournament after ICC refused to shift their matches to Sri Lanka. However, the ICC rejected the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s request after an independent security assessment.
Will Uganda get a chance in place of Pakistan?
If Pakistan withdraws from the T20 World Cup 2026, then Uganda will get a chance to participate. This East African team was part of the 2024 T20 World Cup, but the Ugandan team could not qualify for the 2026 T20 World Cup. According to ICC rules, the highest ranked team among the teams that do not qualify takes the place of the withdrawing team. Scotland, ranked 14th, got the chance in place of Bangladesh. Uganda is the second highest-ranked team that failed to qualify for the 2026 T20 World Cup. Uganda is ranked 21st in the T20 International rankings and hence will replace Pakistan.
How did Uganda perform in the T20 World Cup 2024?
Uganda participated in the T20 World Cup for the first time in 2024 and won one of their four matches. They defeated Papua New Guinea, but lost to Afghanistan, West Indies and New Zealand. However, Uganda failed to qualify for the T20 World Cup 2026.
