Pakistan captain Salman Agha has confirmed that the team will seek government guidance if they reach a T20 finals clash against arch-rivals India. The T20 World Cup has seen a tense political build‑up after Bangladesh were removed from the tournament and Pakistan refused to play India in their Group A match.
“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 T20 finals clash, we will act on their advice,” Agha told reporters in Colombo.
Bangladesh refused to play in India due to security concerns, leading the International Cricket Council (ICC) to replace them with Scotland in Group C. Pakistan had supported Bangladesh’s request to shift matches to Sri Lanka. While the Islamabad government cleared Pakistan to participate, it ordered the team not to face India in the group stage.
Agha expressed disappointment over Bangladesh’s absence, saying, “It’s sad Bangladesh are not here. They have a very good side. Hopefully they will support us.” Pakistan will face Namibia, the Netherlands, and the United States in the group stage, aiming to recover from their previous World Cup defeat to the USA.
Forfeiting the group match against India will cost Pakistan two points and could significantly affect their net run rate. A single loss due to weather could further complicate qualification chances. “We know the margin for error is small, but we can’t control the weather. We are here to play good cricket and not worried about conditions,” Agha said.
The 2009 champions are entering the tournament after a 3-0 whitewash of Australia at home and expressed confidence ahead of a potential T20 finals clash. “We’ve been playing really good cricket. Everything is coming along nicely, and we’re confident of doing well,” Agha added.
All of Pakistan’s games will be played in Sri Lanka, which the team regards as a second home. Agha highlighted the team’s familiarity with local conditions and the support from fans during their sixth visit to the country.
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