Jay Shah issues official statement on Mohsin Naqvi’s pre-T20 World Cup drama

International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman Jay Shah has opened up about the recent controversies surrounding the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. Shah stated that “no team is bigger than the organization," following a high-stakes standoff involving Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi.

The Bangladesh national cricket team refused to travel to India due to geopolitical tensions. Pakistan initially threatened to pull out of the competition to show solidarity with Bangladesh. However, the Pakistan Cricket Board made a U-turn, reversing their decision to boycott the marquee tournament.

No Team Is Bigger Than The Organization - Jay Shah Takes Dig At Pakistan And Bangladesh

Speaking at the CNBC-TV18 India Business Leader Awards in Mumbai on Saturday, Jay Shah hit back at Pakistan and Bangladesh for their boycott threats. He emphasized that the global organization operates through the cooperation of all member nations.

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"This ICC World Cup was very important because there was a lot of chatter before the start of the tournament about whether certain teams would participate and how the World Cup would go ahead. As ICC chairman, I can say that no team is bigger than the organisation and no single team makes an organisation. An organisation is a combination of all teams," Shah said.

The BCCI requested the release of Mustafizur Rahman due to regional unrest. Following failed negotiations, the organizers replaced Bangladesh with Scotland in the group stage. However, the governing body imposed no sanctions and awarded them hosting rights for the upcoming youth tournament.

The World Cup Has Shattered All Viewership Records - Jay Shah

The T20 World Cup became a massive success for broadcasters. The event featured highly competitive matches between associate nations and full members, helping broadcast partners achieve record-breaking viewership across digital streaming platforms.

"The World Cup has shattered all viewership records. For the first time in history, we recorded 7.2 million concurrent viewers. All records were broken in overall viewership. If you see, the USA gave India a hard time, the Netherlands troubled Pakistan, Zimbabwe beat Australia, and Nepal gave England a scare. I congratulate all the associate teams; they have done very well against the full members," he added.

The Pakistan government initially ordered the PCB to boycott the group-stage match against India in Colombo. Following negotiations with the ICC, the cricket board withdrew its initial threats and participated in the global T20 World Cup.

I Have A Message For Suryakumar Yadav And Gautam Gambhir - Jay Shah

Jay Shah shared a message for the Indian team management. He advised head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav to maintain focus on their future goals. He urged the leadership group to start preparing for the upcoming Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.

“I have a message for Surya and Gautam Bhai: slipping from the top to the bottom takes only months, while climbing from the bottom to the top takes years. Keep working hard and keep winning awards. When I was on the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), I had planned till the 2028 Olympics. Now I am in the ICC, and others are in charge at the BCCI. All of you should prepare for 2030, 2031 and even 2036,” he said.

Also read: Pakistan make shocking U-turn, deny fining Babar Azam & Co. after T20 World Cup disaster