Pakistan's captain Salman Ali Agha has finally spoken on the T20 World Cup controversy. Agha clearly stated that the decision was never in the players' hands. After Pakistan's victory over Australia in Lahore on Sunday, Salman Ali Agha was questioned about the government's decision regarding the February 15 match against India in Colombo.
Salman Ali Agha said, 'We are going to play the World Cup. It is not our decision; we can't do anything. The decision not to play against India is not ours. Whatever the government and PCB chairman tell us, we will do. It's important to note that the Pakistan government has refused to play the World Cup match against India.
Government's Order to Withdraw from India Match
The Pakistan government has approved the team's participation in the T20 World Cup, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, with the formal directive that Pakistan will not play against India.
As a result of this decision, Pakistan will give a walkover to India, losing two points in the process.
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PCB's Stance on the Boycott of India-Pakistan Match
There's an agreement between BCCI and PCB that India and Pakistan will only play against each other at neutral venues. Despite this agreement, Pakistan's decision to boycott the match against India is seen as surprising.
Although the ICC has asked the Pakistan Cricket Board to reconsider its decision, the PCB has yet to face any official sanctions or harsh reactions.
The entire situation unfolded when Bangladesh opted out of the tournament for security reasons, replaced by Scotland, with Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Mohsin Naqvi publicly supporting Bangladesh while accusing the ICC of double standards.
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Decision after Government Discussions
Mohsin Naqvi held several meetings with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, with the government’s stance publicly announced on Sunday evening. According to the decision, Pakistan will play all of its matches in Sri Lanka, but the match against India is officially considered canceled at present.
Pakistan's 2026 T20 World Cup Schedule
Pakistan will launch its 2026 T20 World Cup campaign with a warm-up match against Ireland on February 4 at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo.
In the group stage, Pakistan's first official match will be against Netherlands on February 7, followed by a game against the United States on February 10. Both matches will also be held in Colombo.
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The highly-anticipated match between India and Pakistan, scheduled for February 15 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, will see Pakistan giving a walkover due to the current circumstances.
Pakistan's group-stage journey will conclude with a match against Namibia on February 18 at Colombo's Sinhalese Sports Club.
