New Delhi: Pakistan T20 captain Salman Agha has responded to his government’s decision to boycott the team’s scheduled T20 World Cup 2026 match against India, saying the matter is beyond the players’ control and rests with authorities.
On February 1, the Pakistan government confirmed that the national team would participate in the upcoming World Cup but would not play the February 15 fixture against India. The announcement triggered widespread debate across the cricketing world, given the global significance of the rivalry.
Speaking after Pakistan’s third T20 International against Australia in Lahore, Agha addressed questions on the issue. “We are going to the World Cup. It is not our decision — we cannot do anything. Whatever our government or the PCB chief asks us to do, we will follow,” he said.
Pakistan Sweep Australia
Pakistan ended the Australia series on a high, defeating the visitors by 112 runs in the third T20I to complete a clean sweep of the three-match series. The emphatic win provided a boost in confidence ahead of the World Cup despite the off-field controversy.
World Cup Group Scenario
The ICC T20 World Cup 2026 is scheduled to begin on February 7 across India and Sri Lanka. Pakistan have been placed in Group A alongside India, Namibia, the Netherlands, and the United States. All of Pakistan’s group matches are set to be played in Sri Lanka.
Pakistan will open their campaign against the Netherlands on February 7. The team has won the T20 World Cup once, lifting the title in 2009. In the 2024 edition, they were eliminated in the group stage.
With the tournament approaching, the focus now shifts to how the boycott decision will affect the competition and whether a resolution can be reached before the high-profile India fixture.
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