Nasser Hussain’s Pakistan-Bangladesh Praise Triggers Backlash Amid India T20 WC Clash Boycott Row

Nasser Hussain backed Pakistan and Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup 2026 row, praising their boycott of India matches and questioning ICC fairness, sparking backlash from Indian fans who called his stance biased, hypocritical, and unfair.

Former England captain and turned commentator, Nasser Hussain, sparked controversy after openly backing Pakistan and Bangladesh amid the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026 row. Pakistan and Bangladesh recently took a stance against India by boycotting or refusing to play matches involving India, in protest of Bangladesh’s removal from the tournament after it refused to play its group stage matches in India.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) rejected Bangladesh’s request for a change of venue from India to Sri Lanka due to security concerns, citing that an independent security assessment found no credible evidence of a threat to its players or officials in India. Bangladesh’s firm stance led to its removal from the tournament and was replaced by Scotland in Group C.

As an act of solidarity with Bangladesh, Pakistan decided to boycott its clash against Team India at the T20 World Cup 2026 on February 15 at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The PCB chief, Mohsin Naqvi, criticized the ICC for its perceived treatment of Bangladesh.

In fact, Pakistan was the only member to vote in favour of Bangladesh’s request for a change of venue from India to Sri Lanka due to security reasons, while the rest of the ICC board rejected the proposal and maintained the original schedule.

Nasser Hussain backs Pakistan and Bangladesh against the ICC

As Pakistan and Bangladesh stayed firm in their boycott stance, former England cricketer Nasser Hussain backed both teams for their principled stance, praising their courage to challenge the ICC’s decisions.

Speaking on the Sky Cricket Podcast, his former England cricketer, Mike Atherton, Nasser Hussain stated that he admired Bangladesh's standing up for their player, Mustafizur Rahman, and Pakistan for supporting them, adding that politics should not overshadow the spirit of cricket.

“I quite like Bangladesh sticking to their guns. They stood up for their player, the Fiz. And I quite like Pakistan. I know it's political. I quite like Pakistan sticking up for Bangladesh. And at some stage, someone's got to say enough with this politics. Can we just get back to playing cricket?” the former England captain said.

“So maybe it is a real crunch point because the only way Pakistan can hurt the ICC or even India is with the money and the finances of that India-Pakistan game. That's the only way,” he added.

The whole Pakistan-Bangladesh vs ICC controversy began after the Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman was released from the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad ahead of the IPL 2026 as per the instructionsby the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), apparently due to the ongoing religious and political tensions between India and Bangladesh.

Thus, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) escalated the issue by boycotting their T20 World Cup matches in India and sought a change of venue to Sri Lanka, which was officially rejected by the ICC.

Hussain Calls for Fair Play by ICC

Former England captain, Nasser Hussain, expressed his sympathy with the International Cricket Council (ICC), but urged the world governing body of cricket to apply consistent rules for teams, even if it’s India, though the BCCI wields significant influence, warning that selective treatment of Bangladesh or Pakistan could undermine the spirit and competitiveness of international cricket.

“I have some sympathy with the ICC there, that the late decision to say right, we're not travelling. So I guess the real comparison would be, and this is the real question that only the ICC can answer, if it had been India and in the future if India a month before a tournament say our government does not want us to go and play in that country in a world cup, would the ICC have been so firm and say you know the rules, bad luck, we're knocking you out. That is the only question that all sides ask for is consistency,” Hussain said.

“You have to treat Bangladesh the same as you treat Pakistan and the same as you treat India. Now, India fans will say cry more. We have the money, it's all down, but with power comes responsibility.

“If you are constantly knocking Bangladesh or Pakistan, their cricket diminishes, and hence the great games we've seen in the past between India and Pakistan or India and Bangladesh become one-sided, as they have,” he added.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) stance over Bangladesh’s refusal to play their group stage matches in India highlights its strict adherence to tournament rules, emphasising that government or political pressures cannot override contractual obligations, even amid security or diplomatic concerns.

Before the marquee event, every participating team, including hosts India and Sri Lanka, signed a Member Participation Agreement (MPA), which legally binds teams to fulfill their fixtures and obligations.

Hussain’s Comment Sparks Backlash

Nasser Hussain openly backing Pakistan and Bangladesh on their stance against the International Cricket Council (ICC) sparked criticism and backlash from the Indian cricket fans, who questioned the former England captain’s neutrality and accused him of overlooking India’s position in the T20 World Cup 2026.

Taking to their X handles (formerly Twitter), fans and cricket enthusiasts slammed Hussain for his remarks, calling his stance biased, inconsistent, and out of touch with the politics of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

Many recalled Nasser Hussain-led England boycotting the 2003 ODI World Cup match against Zimbabwe and questioned his understanding of the controversy, while accusing him of unfairly siding with Pakistan and Bangladesh while overlooking India’s perspective.

Meanwhile, Pakistan is firm on its stance of boycotting the Team India clash, while the Salman Ali Agha-led side will play the remaining fixtures in the group stage at the T20 World Cup 2026. The ICC had already warned PCB of significant consequences if the boycott goes ahead. With the boycott call, Pakistan Cricket Board is currently on the verge of financial implications for breaching contractual obligations with the broadcasters and the ICC.