Pakistan’s government is expected to take a conclusive decision later this week on the country’s participation in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, after a high-level briefing on the controversy surrounding the event and a standoff with the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Interior minister and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad on Monday, calling the discussion “productive” and saying the premier had instructed that all options remain open, Pakistani news outlet The Dawn reported.

Naqvi said a binding decision on Pakistan’s involvement, precipitated by the ICC’s decision to replace Bangladesh with Scotland in the tournament, is expected either by Friday or next Monday.

The latest developments come a day after the PCB announced a 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup, stepping back from earlier veiled threats to boycott the tournament in solidarity with Bangladesh.

The decision to name a squad followed warnings from the ICC that sanctions, including potential exclusion from future bilateral series, Asia Cup involvement and denial of no-objection certificates for the Pakistan Super League, could be imposed if Pakistan pulled out.

The squad was unveiled at a news conference in Lahore by PCB High Performance Director and selection committee member Aqib Javed, alongside T20I captain Salman Ali Agha and head coach Mike Hesson.

Earlier, Naqvi and PCB officials had criticised the ICC’s handling of Bangladesh’s exclusion, calling it unfair and highlighting the treatment of cricket boards around scheduling and security concerns.

Bangladesh’s refusal to travel to India over cited safety issues triggered the ICC’s ultimatum, after which Scotland, the next highest-ranked non-qualifier, was confirmed as their replacement.