Pakistan will once again seek direction from its government if a potential knockout-stage clash against India arises in the ICC T20 World Cup, captain Salman Agha said on Thursday.
The tournament is being played against a backdrop of heightened political tension. Matters escalated after Bangladesh were removed from the competition, while Pakistan also declined to face co-hosts India in their scheduled Group A encounter.
Despite this, a meeting between the two rivals remains possible if both sides advance to the semi-final or final stages.
“The India match is not in our control,” Agha told reporters in Colombo. “It was a government decision. If we reach the semi-final or final and are scheduled to play India, we will consult the government again and follow their guidance.”
Bangladesh opted out of travelling to India, citing security concerns. As relations deteriorated, the International Cricket Council removed Bangladesh from Group C and brought in Scotland as its replacement.
Pakistan supported Bangladesh’s request to shift matches to Sri Lanka. Islamabad later approved Pakistan’s participation in the tournament but instructed the team not to play the high-profile group-stage match against India on February 15.
“Unfortunately, Bangladesh are not here,” Agha said. “They are a strong side, and we hope they will support us.”
Pakistan and India have not played bilateral cricket for more than a decade, with encounters now limited to multinational tournaments.
In the group stage, Pakistan will face Namibia, the Netherlands, and the United States.
Agha said the squad is fully motivated despite the challenging circumstances. “We’re excited to be here. We lost to the USA in the last World Cup, and we want to move on from that and fix a few things.”
By forfeiting the India fixture, Pakistan will miss out on two crucial points and take a hit to their net run rate. Any rain-affected match could further complicate qualification.
“We understand the margin for error is very small,” he said. “But we can’t control the weather. Our focus is on playing good cricket in any conditions.”
Pakistan, champions of the 2009 edition, arrive with strong momentum after completing a 3–0 home whitewash against Australia.
“We’ve been playing excellent cricket,” Agha said. “We haven’t lost a series since the Asia Cup last year. Everything is coming together, and the team is confident.”
All of Pakistan’s matches will be played in Sri Lanka, where the side toured earlier this year.
“I’m very happy to play here,” Agha added. “Sri Lanka feels like a second home. This is my sixth visit. We know the conditions well and always receive great support.”
