Kamal Ghorui
Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha has broken his silence after the decision was taken not to allow the team to take the field against India in the Men’s T20 World Cup clash scheduled for February 15. While the Pakistan government has cleared the team’s participation in the 20-team tournament, set to be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka, it has been confirmed that Pakistan will forfeit the high-profile fixture against India, which was slated to be played in Colombo.
Speaking to reporters after Pakistan’s emphatic win over Australia in the third and final T20I on Sunday, Agha made it clear that the call was not taken by the players. He said the team would follow whatever directive was issued by the government and the Pakistan Cricket Board. “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 said. Earlier, PCB chairman and Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had indicated that a final decision on World Cup participation would be taken by January 30 or February 2. With no announcement made on January 30, expectations grew that clarity would come on Monday. However, following a meeting between Naqvi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday evening, the official verdict was communicated around 8 PM IST, triggering widespread reaction across the cricketing world. Notably, the announcement came on the same day as Pakistan’s series-clinching T20I against Australia in Lahore. Soon after confirmation, Pakistan unveiled their official jersey for the tournament. The team has been placed in Group A alongside India, Namibia, the Netherlands and the USA. With the tournament less than a week away, the development has raised questions for the ICC and broadcasters, given the massive commercial value of an India-Pakistan clash. Pakistan will play all their matches in Sri Lanka and begin their campaign on February 7 against the Netherlands. The 2009 champions, led by Agha, will look to bounce back after a disappointing 2024 campaign and carry forward momentum from their 3-0 series sweep over Australia.
