From Peshawar to the Dhaka Locker Room: How a Political Meeting Could Change the Future of Pakistan Cricket

The tea in the Governor's House conference room had gone cold long before. But the meeting was not over. When Faisal Karim Kundi and Mohsin Naqvi sat in that room in Peshawar, there was no talk of cricket. Not a single ball was bowled. Not a single run was scored. Yet, if I look at the documents of this meeting through the lens I have used to track the inner stories of cricket for the past 15 years, an uncomfortable truth emerges: Pakistan cricket's biggest risk is no longer in the dressing room—it is in the file cabinet of the provincial administration. When I used to cover matches at Arbab Niaz Stadium in Peshawar, I understood how high the walls outside the ground were. I would count the number of security checkpoints. I would see how much administrative pain it takes to host an international match. But now the matter is deeper. Peshawar Zalmi is a franchise. PSL is a brand. But the existence of both depends on whether peace returns to the streets of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. What was discussed in that meeting in February 2026 is not directly about cricket. The discussion was about preparations to impose Governor's Rule or a state of emergency. The discussion was about the alleged use of helicopters and misuse of government resources during the PTI long march. But the person sitting at the center of this discussion is Mohsin Naqvi. Pakistan's Interior Minister. And simultaneously, the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). This dual role creates a crisis that I can see from the safe distance of the Dhaka locker room. As PCB Chairman, Naqvi's decisions should be about cricket development, player welfare, and the international calendar. Yet when he takes a hardline stance against a provincial government as Interior Minister, the impact of that decision also falls on cricket administration. The ICC has a clear principle: member boards must operate free from government interference. If a board's head is a government minister, the definition of that freedom comes into question. I am not raising this question because I understand politics. I am raising this question because I understand the game of cricket administration. I have seen many times how decisions off the field affect performance on it. After the 2026 attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore, Pakistan was out of international cricket for nearly a decade. During that time, I sat in Dhaka and listened to Pakistani journalists. They would say, the ground is fine, the players are fine, but the image is broken. It took ten years to rebuild that image. Now if provincial instability increases, if Governor's Rule is imposed, that image could be damaged again. What does it take to host a match in Peshawar? Not just stadium grass and floodlights. It takes security clearance from the provincial government. It takes police deployment. It takes helicopter surveillance. If the conflict between the provincial and federal governments increases, these clearances get delayed. Delays lead to schedule changes. Schedule changes hurt broadcasters. When broadcasters are hurt, franchise value drops. And when franchise value drops, player salaries drop. I have seen this entire chain with my own eyes. From local leagues to international series. I want to make one thing clear. I am not saying that if Governor's Rule is imposed, the PSL will be cancelled. I am saying the risk increases. And the price of this risk will be paid by cricket, not politics. Because political decisions are made on vote calculations. In cricket, that calculation does not work. In cricket, the calculation is runs, wickets, and hosting. I remember, in 2026, during Sylhet Sixers' first season, I did not get press box credentials. So I would sit behind the sight screen and watch matches. Even from there, I could see which bowler was tired, which batsman's footwork was weak. What is happening in Peshawar now, I am seeing that from the same seat. I see Mohsin Naqvi as the head of security forces on one hand, and as the head of the cricket board on the other. If a conflict arises between these two roles, the damage will take years to repair. I know, Pakistan's cricket fans are currently worried about the team's performance. They are worried about the batting order. They are worried about the bowling coach. But I want to say, the real worry is elsewhere. The real worry is what decisions are being made in that conference room in Peshawar. Because those decisions will determine whether the PSL happens in the next six months. Whether international teams will tour Pakistan. And whether Mohsin Naqvi, as PCB Chairman, can make decisions independently. Standing in the mixed zone in Dhaka, I have heard players say, 'We only play cricket, the rest is not in our hands.' That is true. But those who run cricket administration have the rest in their hands. And that 'rest' is now being decided in Peshawar. I want to know one thing. When Governor's Rule is discussed, what is the role of the cricket board chairman? Does he sit as Interior Minister, or as PCB Chairman? If this ambiguity remains, then Pakistan cricket's biggest match will not be on the field. It will be in administrative files. And in that match, there is no umpire.