“Mohammad Yousuf Launches Scathing Attack on ICC”

Mohammad Yousuf Harshly Criticises ICC over Exclusion of Bangladesh from Upcoming World Cup.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is facing mounting criticism following its decision to exclude Bangladesh from the upcoming T20 World Cup. Joining the chorus of criticism is former Pakistan captain and legendary cricketer Mohammad Yousuf, who has questioned the ICC’s consistency and governance over the issue.

Bangladesh was excluded from the tournament after refusing to travel to India due to security concerns. Instead, Scotland secured qualification based on rankings. Reacting strongly to the decision, Yousuf wrote on social media platform X on Monday, highlighting Bangladesh’s massive cricket fan base.

“Bangladesh alone has nearly the same number of cricket viewers as New Zealand, Australia, Scotland, Nepal, the Netherlands, Ireland, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan combined. Ten countries together have around 178 million viewers, while Bangladesh alone has about 176 million,” Yousuf wrote.

Earlier, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had informed the ICC of its willingness to play its World Cup matches in Sri Lanka instead of India due to security concerns. Hybrid models for global tournaments have been used before, but the ICC did not offer a similar solution for Bangladesh.

Pointing to this inconsistency, Yousuf added, “In a sport driven by global audiences, setting aside Bangladesh’s legitimate security concerns raises serious questions about consistency and good governance. When accommodation becomes selective, fairness disappears. Cricket cannot be run by influence; it must be governed solely by principles.”

Meanwhile, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has indicated that discussions are underway with the country’s government regarding a possible boycott of the World Cup. On Monday, he met with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to discuss the matter.

Following the meeting, Naqvi described the discussion as “productive” in a post on X, stating, “I had a productive meeting with Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif. He was briefed on the ICC-related issue and has directed that all options remain open. A final decision will be taken either on Friday or next Monday.”