Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi had travelled to Colombo to watch the marquee T20 World Cup 2026 clash between India and Pakistan on Sunday, but he left the stadium before the match ended. PTI later showed footage of him walking out of the R Premadasa Stadium even before the final result.
The news agency reported on Monday that Naqvi was miffed with Pakistan’s performance in the 61-run defeat, a loss that has now left them on the verge of elimination.
A source told PTI that Naqvi conveyed his “displeasure” to team manager Naved Akram Cheema after Pakistan’s horror batting display. “The Chairman left the match early at the Premadasa Stadium as it became obvious Pakistan were going to face another defeat to India,” the source said.
Another senior PCB official told the news agency that Naqvi also informed Cheema that the performance against India was “not understandable or acceptable.”
The report further revealed that after the game, the team management unleashed fury in the dressing room, with head coach Mike Hesson telling the players they had not played to their full potential against India.
“Late at night, the management think tank decided enough was enough and that it would bench Babar and Shaheen, and try Salman Mirza/Naseem Shah and Fakhar Zaman against Namibia on Wednesday,” the source added.
The source indicated that if Pakistan go ahead with the changes in their final Group A match, Babar and Shaheen’s World Cup campaign in this edition could effectively be over as the management is also keen to try out young Khawaja Nafay in the middle order.
Pakistan must beat Namibia in their next game, on Wednesday at the SSC Stadium in Colombo, to seal a Super Eight berth. The African side had earlier defeated lower-ranked USA and the Netherlands before suffering a heavy loss to India.