Participation in T20 WC subject to government's advice: Naqvi tells Pakistan players after team selection

Lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi on Sunday dismissed the impression that the announcement of the World Cup squad meant that the country has decided to take part in next month’s ICC mega event.

Naqvi reiterated his earlier stand that the PCB has been waiting to know the Pakistan government’s stand to take a call on the nation’s participation in the T20 World Cup, scheduled across India and Sri Lanka.

The International Cricket Council had pushed Bangladesh out of the upcoming T20 World Cup on Saturday, bringing in Scotland after BCB refused to let its team travel to India citing security concerns in the wake of Mustafizur Rahman's ouster from the IPL.

“We are waiting for the government's advice and whatever the government tells us to do we will do it. If they don’t want us to go for the World Cup, we will follow it,” Naqvi informed Pakistan players and head coach Mike Hesson here in a meeting which was held after the squad announcement.

Pakistan on Sunday named Salman Ali Agha-led 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup.

During the meeting, Naqvi briefed the players about the PCB’s policy on the issue of Bangladesh being excluded from the T20 World Cup because of their unwillingness to travel to India because of security concerns.

Later in a statement the PCB said the players backed the principled stance of the board to support Bangladesh.

Naqvi also told the players that the Bangladesh stance of not wanting to play their matches in India was a principled one. “We firmly reject the double standards of the ICC,” Naqvi was quoted as saying in the PCB statement, adding that the game should be run within the spirt and principles of the game.

Naqvi also reminded Pakistan players that the fans have placed high expectations on them ahead of the home white-ball series against Australia and the World Cup, and urged them to give their best.