The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has expressed support for the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) stance on not playing in India due to security concerns, writing to the International Cricket Council (ICC) on the matter.

The move came on Tuesday, a day before the ICC is expected to make a final decision on Bangladesh`s participation in the 2026 Men`s T20 World Cup, according to an ESPNcricinfo report. The report also claimed that the PCB copied all ICC Board members in its communication.

It is understood that the ICC has called a Board meeting on Wednesday to address the BCB’s request to shift Bangladesh’s matches to Sri Lanka because of security concerns in India. It remains unclear whether the PCB`s email prompted the meeting.

The timing of the PCB email could raise eyebrows, but it is understood that it will not impact the ICC`s stance so far, of not changing the World Cup schedule and allowing Bangladesh to play in Sri Lanka, co-hosts of the tournament with India. The ICC has been firm on this and has conveyed the same to the BCB during its interactions last week.

With support from the Bangladesh government, the BCB has refused to travel to India for the team’s group-stage games. Despite several meetings, most recently in Dhaka last weekend, neither side has shifted its position — the ICC insists that matches go ahead as scheduled, while the BCB maintains it cannot send its team to India. A decision deadline of January 21, less than three weeks before the tournament begins, had been set.

The PCB’s late involvement follows a week of speculation about potential resolutions. Unverified reports suggested that the PCB offered to host Bangladesh’s games in Pakistan and even considered reviewing Pakistan’s own participation in the World Cup, contingent on the outcome for Bangladesh. The PCB has not commented publicly or responded to ESPNcricinfo’s queries.

The stand-off originated when the BCCI instructed Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to remove Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL 2026 squad. The reasons remain unclear, although worsening political ties between Bangladesh and India have been cited. This prompted the Bangladesh government to formally declare that the national team would not play its matches in India.

The situation has escalated further, even triggering a player boycott in Bangladesh, which affected the ongoing BPL, after a senior BCB official made disparaging remarks about the country’s top players when asked about the financial implications if Bangladesh were to miss the T20 World Cup entirely.