T20 World Cup 2026: Pakistan Betrays Bangladesh! PCB Announces Squad After Shock Exit

The cricketing landscape is buzzing with controversy as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has finally unveiled its squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. However, the timing of this announcement has raised many eyebrows, suggesting a calculated betrayal of Bangladesh. For weeks, Pakistan appeared to be standing in solidarity with Bangladesh, but the moment the latter was ousted from the tournament, Pakistan made its move.

Pakistan's Sudden U-Turn After Bangladesh's Ouster

The T20 World Cup 2026 is scheduled to commence on February 7. According to ICC regulations, all participating nations are required to announce their squads at least one month prior to the event. While Bangladesh complied within the deadline, Pakistan chose to keep its squad under wraps, while although a list was sent to the ICC privately, it wasn't made public, leading to speculation that Pakistan was supporting Bangladesh's protests against certain ICC decisions.

The Drama Behind the Squad Announcement

For the past 15 days, the PCB was reportedly engaged in a series of tactical delays. Internal discussions in Pakistan suggested that if Bangladesh were to be excluded or chose to boycott, Pakistan might follow suit in a show of regional solidarity. Even when the squad for the Australia series was announced last Friday, the. World Cup roster was missing, further fueling the narrative that Pakistan was backing Bangladesh. However, this facade crumbled the moment the ICC confirmed Bangladesh's exit.

Scotland Replaces Bangladesh as Pakistan Reveals True Colors

As soon as the ICC announced that Scotland would replace Bangladesh in the upcoming T20 World Cup, the PCB acted with lightning speed, while within 24 hours of Bangladesh's official exclusion, Pakistan announced its full squad for the tournament. This sudden shift has led experts to believe that Pakistan was merely using Bangladesh as a pawn in a larger diplomatic game, while the 'solidarity' was nothing more than a delay tactic to see how the ICC would react.

Financial Blow to Bangladesh While Pakistan Moves On

The exclusion from the T20 World Cup 2026 is a massive blow for Bangladesh, both competitively and financially, while meanwhile, the PCB Chairman's recent statements have been described as ironic. Previously, he claimed that the decision to participate in the World Cup rested with the Prime Minister, who was traveling abroad. Yet, the squad was announced before the PM's return, making it clear that a boycott was never truly on the cards. While Bangladesh faces a bleak future, Pakistan is now comfortably preparing for the mega event, leaving their neighbors feeling betrayed.