Pakistan may boycott T20 World Cup, decision by Friday or Monday
The development comes amid questions over Pakistan's participation in the tournament after the ICC decided to replace Bangladesh with Scotland.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Monday said he had briefed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the "International Cricket Council (ICC) matter", adding that a "final decision will be taken either on Friday or next Monday".
According to a handout from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), Naqvi called on the premier in Islamabad earlier on Monday.
"During the meeting, he briefed the prime minister on the recent developments between the ICC and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) regarding the T20 World Cup," the handout said.
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Following the meeting, Naqvi, who is also chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), described his discussion with PM Shehbaz as "productive".
"[I] briefed him on the ICC matter, and he directed that we resolve it while keeping all options on the table. It was agreed that the final decision will be taken either on Friday or next Monday," the statement read.
The development comes amid questions over Pakistan's participation in the tournament after the ICC decided to replace Bangladesh with Scotland.
Bangladesh were replaced by Scotland on Saturday. The tournament is scheduled to begin next month, following Bangladesh's refusal to tour India over safety concerns amid deteriorating political relations between the two Asian neighbours.
The ICC rejected Bangladesh's request to move their matches to co-host Sri Lanka, stating that it was not feasible to change the schedule so close to the tournament's February 7 start.
Hours before the ICC announced its decision, Naqvi said Bangladesh was being treated unfairly and should be allowed to participate.
At the time, he added that Pakistan's participation had not yet been confirmed. "The prime minister is not in Pakistan right now. When he returns, I'll be able to give you our final decision," he said.
Meanwhile, the International Cricketers' Association said on Sunday that Bangladesh's absence from the T20 World Cup was a "sad moment" for the game and should serve as a reminder for stakeholders to work towards uniting the sport, not dividing it.
"The withdrawal of Bangladesh from the T20 World Cup, and the resulting absence of a valued cricketing nation from cricket's pinnacle international T20 event, is a sad moment for our sport, the Bangladesh players and fans, and one that requires deep reflection," WCA Chief Executive Tom Moffat said in a statement.
