Fact Check: ICC has Not Imposed A One-Year Ban On The Pakistan Cricket Board, Viral Media Release Is Fake
Vishvas News found in its investigation that the claim of a one-year ban on the Pakistan Cricket Board by the ICC is fake. The viral media release has been edited. The ICC has taken no such action.
- By: Pallavi Mishra
- Published: Feb 6, 2026 at 05:28 PM
New Delhi (Vishvas News) An image of an alleged media release is going viral on social media, claiming that the International Cricket Council (ICC) has imposed a strict one-year ban on the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). According to the viral post, under this ban, the Pakistan Super League (PSL) has also been suspended for one year, and Pakistan’s share of ICC revenue has been slashed.
In its investigation, Vishvas News found that the viral claim is false. The ICC has not imposed any kind of ban on Pakistan.
What is going viral?
Facebook user ‘Manish Choudhary‘ shared a post on February 3, 2026, showing a media release on an ICC letterhead. It states: “
MEDIA RELEASE. The ICC raised issues related to Pakistan in yesterday’s meeting where a 14-2 vote took place. Following the vote, we have decided to ban Pakistan cricket for I year. The PSL will be banned for I year. Pakistan’s share of annual revenue will be reduced from 5.75% to 2.25%. Pakistan’s annual revenue share will be cut from 5.75% to 2.25%. Pakistan will not be allowed to host any ICC tournaments until the year 2040. The ICC determines that the integrity of the sport and its fair spirit must be upheld at all costs.Thank you.”
Jay Shah’s signature can also be seen at the bottom of the post.
Investigation
To find out the truth behind the viral claim, we first searched the official ICC website. We found no such announcement mentioning a ban on the Pakistan Cricket Board.
During the investigation, we found the actual ICC media release related to the 2026 T20 World Cup, which was released on February 1, 2026. The viral image is an edited version of this original release. The authentic statement makes no mention of a ‘ban’ or ‘PSL suspension.’
However, the original release did express concern regarding Pakistan’s announcement to play only “selective matches.” In that release, the ICC voiced concern over the Pakistan government’s decision to instruct its team to play only specific matches in the T20 World Cup 2026. The ICC stated that ‘selective participation’ goes against the integrity and global spirit of the sport and asked the PCB to consider the far-reaching consequences and the impact on the global cricket ecosystem.
According to a report by Dainik Jagran on February 5, 2026, Pakistan has decided to boycott the India-Pakistan match scheduled for February 15 in the T20 World Cup 2026 in support of Bangladesh. In fact, after Bangladesh refused to play in India, the ICC replaced them with Scotland, which Pakistan considers unfair. Meanwhile, former PCB Chairman Najam Sethi said that the situation can still be managed and Bangladesh should be persuaded to play in Sri Lanka. He expressed hope that wisdom would prevail as the whole world is waiting for this high-voltage match.
For more information, we contacted cricket expert and commentator Syed Hussain. He clarified: “The news of the ICC imposing a ban on the Pakistan Cricket Board is completely fake. There are ongoing discussions and disputes between the PCB and the ICC regarding the hosting of the Champions Trophy, but no step like a ban has been taken. The media release circulating on social media is fake.”
The user who shared the viral post, Manish Choudhary, is followed by more than 500 users on Facebook.
Conclusion: Vishvas News found in its investigation that the claim of a one-year ban on the Pakistan Cricket Board by the ICC is fake. The viral media release has been edited. The ICC has taken no such action.
- Claim Review : ICC has Imposed A One-Year Ban On The Pakistan Cricket Board
- Claimed By : Facebook user 'Manish Choudhary'
- Fact Check : False
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