Bangladesh treated unfairly by ICC: PCB chief Naqvi

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi has said Bangladesh are “being treated unfairly” by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and should be allowed to participate in the upcoming T20 World Cup, which is co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka and begins on February 7.

Bangladesh, who are scheduled to play all of their World Cup matches in India, had requested that their fixtures be relocated to Sri Lanka citing security and safety concerns in India. The ICC, however, rejected the request and stuck to the original schedule, leaving it to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to decide whether to send the national team to India.

“Bangladesh has been treated unfairly,” Naqvi, who is also Pakistan’s interior minister, said following the inauguration of the PCB Merchandise Shop at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Saturday.

“I said the same in the board meeting of the International Cricket Council. You cannot have double standards, where one country can make whatever decision whenever and do the total opposite for another country.

“That is why we have taken the stand that Bangladesh is being treated unfairly and should be allowed to play the World Cup in any case. They are a major stakeholder and this injustice should not be done.”

When asked about a potential boycott of the World Cup, Naqvi said the decision would be taken by the government of Pakistan. “We are waiting for the prime minister to return,” he said, adding that a final decision would be taken then.

Naqvi was also asked whether he would suggest a hybrid model for Bangladesh, similar to the arrangement between Pakistan and India.

“The thing is that Bangladesh is the same member as Pakistan. And our stance is that if you have done this favour with Pakistan and India, then you should do the same with Bangladesh,” he said.

“The main reason for this is that one country cannot dictate another. And if this dictation is attempted, then Pakistan definitely has its own stance,” he added.

Asked whether there was a “Plan B” in a scenario where Pakistan would also not play in the T20 World Cup, Naqvi quipped, “Let the decision come first; we have Plan A, B, C, D.”