Former England captain Nasser Hussain has been named as part of a star-studded commentary team to work for the International Cricket Council during the 2026 FIFA World Cup T20, which starts on February 7 in India and Sri Lanka. The ICC has confirmed the commentary panel on the eve of the opening day of the tournament, which will see India, Pakistan and West Indies in action.
Hussain has been one of the regular voices on ICC commentary panels at major tournaments across gender and age groups. Widely regarded as one of the game’s most respected commentators, Hussain recently caused a stir after criticizing the global governing body and supporting Pakistan’s decision to boycott the T20 World Cup match against India, as well as Bangladesh’s decision not to travel to India before being replaced by Scotland in the Twenty20 tournament.
On the Sky Sports podcast alongside Michael Atherton Hussain claimed the ICC preferential treatment of powerhouses, especially India, has deepened the imbalance in world cricket. The former England captain has been outspoken on the functioning of the ICC on several occasions in the past.
“If India had said a month before the tournament, ‘Our government doesn’t want us to play any country in the World Cup’, the ICC would have been so firm and said, ‘You know the rules, bad luck, we’re knocking you out?'” Hussain said.
“The only thing all sides want is consistency. Bangladesh, Pakistan and India must be treated equally. Yes, Indian fans can say, ‘Cry more, we have money!'” But with power comes responsibility.
“Actually, I quite like Bangladesh sticking to their guns and standing up for their players. I quite like Pakistan standing up for Bangladesh. At some stage, someone should say, enough with politics – we can go back to playing cricket,” added Hussain.
The ICC did not respond to Hussain’s comments.
WHO ARE PART OF THE ICC’S STAR-STARD COMMENTARY PANEL?
Apart from Hussain, the panel includes former Indian cricketers Ravi Shastri, Dinesh Karthik, Robin Uthappa, Sunil Gavaskar and Harsha Bhogle. Pakistani greats Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Ramiz Raja are also among the commentators.
Although Bangladesh is not part of the T20 World Cup, Athar Ali Khan will appear on the commentary panel.
World Test Championship-winning captain Temba Bavuma is among the new additions to the regular line-up.
Ravi Shastri, Nasser Hussain, Ian Smith, Ian Bishop, Aaron Finch, Dinesh Karthik, Kumar Sangakkara, Samuel Badree, Robin Uthappa, Carlos Brathwaite, Eoin Morgan, Wasim Akram, Sunil Gavaskar, Matthew Hayden, Ramiz Raja, Dale Steyn, Shaun Pollock Simon, Michael Atherton You Martin, Harsha Bhogle, Mpumelelo Mbangwa, Natalie Germanos, Danny Morrison, Alan Wilkins, Ian Ward, Mark Howard, Nick Knight, Athar Ali Khan, Kass Naidoo, Bazid Khan, Raunak Kapoor, Niall O’Brien, Preston Mommsen, Andrew Leonard, Russell T Arnoldo Angel, Massell T Arnba Bavuma.
WHAT IS THE PAK–BAN CONTROVERSY IN THE T20 WORLD CUP?
The T20 World Cup was then hit by a major diplomatic standoff Scotland replaced Bangladesh in the tournament lineup. The controversy began when the Bangladesh Cricket Board, backed by its government, refused to play scheduled matches in India due to security concerns and requested that the matches be moved to neutral venues in Sri Lanka.
The ICC rejected the request, citing a lack of verifiable threats, and subsequently disqualified Bangladesh for non-participation. The move has been criticized by former players and analysts who see it as evidence of the BCCI’s undue influence over the global governance of cricket.
In a dramatic display of solidarity Pakistan announced a boycott of their much-anticipated group stage match against India, scheduled for February 15 in Colombo. While the Pakistan government allowed the team to participate in the rest of the tournament, This was stated by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif that Pakistan “will not field” against India in protest against what he described as the unfair exclusion of Bangladesh.
The decision has sent the ICC into a tailspin as the potential loss of the India-Pakistan match – estimated to be worth almost US$500 million in commercial value – threatens the financial return of all member boards and led to urgent negotiations to avoid further disruption to the tournament.
WILL PAKISTAN CHANGE ITS MIND?
That remains to be seen. While Pakistan’s prime minister reiterated the government’s stance earlier this week, Sri Lanka Cricket wrote to the Pakistan Cricket Board urging it to play the match against India, citing potential losses the co-hosts would suffer from ticket cancellations and a drop in tourism.
India on their part, they said they would go to Colombo and complete all pregame routines in preparation for the February 15th game. Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha told the media on Thursday that the board will have to follow the government’s order on the matter.
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Issued by:
Akshay Ramesh
Published on:
February 6, 2026