The Pakistan Cricket Board has raised a strong complaint with the ICC after Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha was left out of the promotional poster for the T20 World Cup 2026 ticket sales. This is not the first time such an issue has happened, and the PCB is hoping the ICC will fix the situation soon.

What happened with the poster

The ICC released a promotional poster this week to announce ticket sales for the T20 World Cup 2026, which will be held in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8, 2026. The poster featured only five captains: Suryakumar Yadav (India), Aiden Markram (South Africa), Mitchell Marsh (Australia), Dasun Shanaka (Sri Lanka), and Harry Brook (England). Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha was missing from the image, which upset the PCB.

A reliable source in the PCB told PTI that the matter has already been taken up with the ICC. The source said that while Pakistan is not in the top five teams in the ICC T20 rankings at the moment, the country has a rich cricket legacy and remains one of the top draws in any World Cup. Leaving out the Pakistan captain from such a big promotional campaign does not do justice to Pakistan’s standing in world cricket.

PCB faced similar issue during Asia Cup

The PCB source also pointed out that this is not the first time such a problem has come up. A few months ago during the Asia Cup, broadcasters started a promotional campaign without featuring Pakistan’s captain. The PCB had to speak to the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) back then, and only after that conversation was the situation corrected.

Now, the PCB is dealing with a similar problem with the ICC. The source said, “We are facing a similar situation this time as the ICC has not projected our captain on the promotional poster for ticket sales.” The board is confident that the ICC will add the Pakistan captain to future promotional posters and campaigns once the issue is sorted out.

Why this matters for Pakistan

Even though Pakistan is not currently ranked in the top five T20I teams, the PCB believes the country deserves proper representation in all major ICC events. Pakistan has a huge fan following around the world, and their matches – especially against India – are among the biggest draws in any tournament. The T20 World Cup 2026 will kick off with Pakistan’s opening match against the Netherlands on February 7, the same day India play the United States.

The PCB’s concern is not just about rankings but about respect and visibility on the global stage. Promotional posters set the tone for the tournament and are seen by millions of cricket fans. Leaving out a major team like Pakistan sends the wrong message and affects the board’s pride and commercial interests as well.

ICC yet to respond publicly

So far, the ICC has not made any public comment on the PCB’s complaint. The global body is currently headed by former BCCI secretary Jay Shah, who took over as ICC chairman recently. The PCB expects that the ICC will understand the issue and make the necessary changes to include Pakistan’s captain in upcoming promotional materials for the T20 World Cup 2026.