Mohsin Naqvi struck a combative, Bangladesh-first tone in a press interaction on Saturday, insisting the neighbour should not be squeezed out of the World Cup conversation at the very start.
In the same breath, Naqvi also dangled a contingency idea around anotehr team being included if Pakistan decided to boycott the World Cup – but pushed the final call squarely to the Pakistan government, not the boardroom.
“Dekhie humne yeh stand liya hain ki Bangladesh ke saath zyaarti ho rahi hain, Banglaesh ko har shurat mein unko World Cup mein khilana chahiye, woh ek bara stake holder hain aur unke saath yeh zyaarti nahi honi chahiye, (We have taken the position that Bangladesh is being treated unfairly. They should be made to play the World Cup from the very beginning; they are a major stakeholder and this unfairness should not happen to them.)” Naqvi said.
Naqvi’s framing was clear: Bangladesh’s place in the tournament ecosystem, in his view, is too significant to be handled as an afterthought. By calling them a major stakeholder, he attempted to turn the argument from sympathy to legitimacy – not just what’s fair, but what’s structurally important for a World Cup that sells itself as global and complete.
“Agar government of Pakistan kehti hain ki nahi khelna then woh 22nd team le aaye. But yeh faisla government of Pakistan ne karna hain, (If Pakistan’s government says it won’t play, then bring in a 22nd team. But that decision has to be taken by the Pakistan government.)” he further added whether Pakistan would decide to boycott the tournament.
That line did two things at once. While it helped him keep a neutral line on whether Pakistan are going to follow through with their commitment of standing with Bangladesh in solidarity, it also provoked a sharp criticism of the step ICC has taken.
Where Naqvi grew cautious was on the question of whether other boards were backing Pakistan and Bangladesh in any venue-change conversation. He signalled that the story is messier than it looks – and suggested he is holding back details for now. “On other boards supporting Pakistan and Bangladesh on venue change – Nahi yeh Bangladesh ka mauqaf tha, main smajhta hu ki isme bhot saare factors hain jo involve hain, (No, that was Bangladesh’s stance. I understand there are many factors involved in it)” he said. “Aur, main usme nahi jaaon toh behtar hain, par jab detail mein jana padega tab yeh bhi bataunga ki kis tarah se woh faisla hua hain, (And it’s better if I don’t go into it right now, but when we have to get into details, I will also explain how that decision was made.)” he further added.
In an interaction that mixed certainty with strategic restraint, Mohsin Naqvi’s message landed in layers: a firm public defence of Bangladesh, a conditional scenario involving Scotland as an added team, and a guarded promise of more disclosure later. For now, he chose to keep the spotlight on unfairness – and on the idea that, at least in Pakistan’s telling, Bangladesh should not be the side made to pay first.