T20 World Cup 2026: ‘We will act on government’s advice’ - Salman Ali Agha on India fixture
"The India game is not in our control. It was the government's decision and if we have to play them in the semi-final or the final, we will go back to them," said Agha.
Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha has said that the team will seek guidance from the government if they reach the knockout stage of the T20 World Cup and are drawn to face arch-rivals India on Thursday, February 5.
The tournament has been surrounded by political tension following Bangladesh’s exclusion and Pakistan’s decision not to play co-hosts India in their Group A fixture. However, a potential clash between the two South Asian neighbours remains possible in the semi-final or the final, keeping the prospect of a high-stakes encounter alive.
"The India game is not in our control. It was the government's decision and if we have to play them in the semi-final or the final, we will go back to them and act on their advice,” said Agha to reporters as quoted by NDTV Sports.
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Bangladesh refused to play in India, citing security concerns amid deteriorating relations, and were subsequently removed from Group C by the International Cricket Council, with Scotland replacing them. Pakistan supported Bangladesh’s request to have their matches shifted to Sri Lanka. While the government in Islamabad granted clearance for Pakistan’s participation in the tournament, it directed the national team not to play the marquee group-stage match against India scheduled for February 15.
"It's sad Bangladesh is not here. They have a very good side. Hopefully they will support us," Agha said.
Pakistan and India have not played bilateral cricket for over a decade, meeting only in multinational tournaments. In the group stage, Pakistan will face Namibia, the Netherlands, and the United States. By forfeiting their match against India, Pakistan will not only lose two points but also suffer a significant blow to their net run rate. Even a single loss in the group stage due to bad weather could make it challenging for them to qualify for the knockout rounds.
"We're excited to play in this tournament. We lost to the USA in the last World Cup and we are determined to put that disappointment behind us and put a few things right. We know the margin for error is small, but we can't control the weather. We are here to play good cricket and we're not bothered about the conditions," Agha said.
"We've been playing really good cricket. We haven't lost a series since the Asia Cup last year. Everything is coming along nicely and we're confident of doing well. Very happy to play in Sri Lanka -- it's a second home for me. This is my sixth visit, we know the conditions and we get a lot of support," he concluded.
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