T20 World Cup 2026: Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha has finally reacted to them not playing against India during the upcoming mega event. The Pakistan government revealed that they will be playing in the 20-team event, which will be held in India and Sri Lanka, but they will be boycotting the match against their arch-rival in Sri Lanka.
Post this announcement, Agha finally reacted to this issue and said that the players didn't take this decision, and they will do whatever the government tells them to do.
"We are going to the World Cup. Humara decision nahi hai, hum kuch nahi kar sakte. (The decision not to play against India isn't ours, so we cannot do anything about it.) Whatever our government, the PCB chief tells us to do, we will do that only," Agha told reporters in the post-match press conference.
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Mohsin Naqvi, who is the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, has said that their last decision on participating in the mega event will be taken by February 2.
But Naqvi then met Shehbaz Sharif, who is Pakistan's Prime Minister, on Sunday. At 8 p.m. IST, they revealed the official decision and left the cricket world stunned. It should be noted here that this decision was taken on the same day as that of the 3rd T20I between Pakistan and Australia.
Once the confirmation came in, Pakistan also unveiled the official jersey for the upcoming marquee tournament, which sees the team placed in Group A alongside India, Namibia, the Netherlands, and the USA. It remains to be seen how the ICC reacts to the latest development; however, it doesn't paint a pretty picture, considering the tournament is less than a week away.
The broadcasters are expected to witness severe losses considering the match between India and Pakistan always rakes in the moolah for everyone involved.
Pakistan to begin campaign on February 7
Pakistan, which will play all its T20 World Cup matches in Sri Lanka, will begin its campaign on February 7, the opening day of the tournament, against the Netherlands.
The 2009 champions will aim to win the tournament for the second time. In the 2024 edition, Pakistan failed to even make the semi-finals after losing to India and the USA in the group stage.
Pakistan has already announced the squad for the World Cup, with Agha set to lead the team. The side's preparation for the tournament has been ideal, considering they defeated Australia 3-0 in the three-match T20I series.