Will they or won't they? That's the question around Pakistan's participation in T20 World Cup 2026. Ever since Bangladesh withdrew and were replaced by Scotland, the Pakistan Cricket Board has issued veiled threats about their team taking Bangladesh's route for a potential boycott. Even after Pakistan's T20 World Cup squad was announced, PCB boss Mohsqin Naqvi claimed that participation wasn't certain yet.
According to Naqvi, he is still awaiting the final decision from Pakistan's government. Considering that all their scheduling demands were met long back - their matches will only be held in Sri Lanka including the India game - Pakistan have no logical or legal reason to withdraw from the World Cup. There is also a flurry of financial hurdles to overcome if they decide to boycott the tournament.
Amidst this, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha's statement at the toss during the second T20I against Australia has gone viral. When asked about the kind of pitches being prepared for the ongoing series, Agha mentioned clearly about it being a strategy devised to ensure proper World Cup preparation. It's fair to assume that Agha or the team management are expecting to play the T20 World Cup as scheduled.
"These kind of pitches we're going to get when we go to Sri Lanka," said Agha to the host broadcaster at the toss.
"And that's what we're making here and hopefully we can have a lot of practice here and then when we go there we don't really have a problem with that."
ALSO READ
- India vs New Zealand: Ishan Kishan likely to keep wickets for Thiruvananthapuram T20I; what does this mean for Sanju Samson?
- Bangladesh's boycott of T20 World Cup 2026 puts India's 2036 Olympics hosting bid in trouble
- Canada T20 World Cup 2026 team preview: Squad, fixtures, probable XI, key players, tournament prediction
One can argue that Bangladesh's cricketers also wanted to play the tournament, only for the government to reject their wishes. The difference here is that Pakistan and PCB have already got their scheduling requests met by the ICC, unlike Bangladesh and BCB who wanted the games to be relocated.
Even as the official decision from Pakistan's government is pending, it seems like Agha's involuntary response is an unofficial confirmation that Pakistan will participate in T20 World Cup 2026. Even amidst their boycott threats, they were always expected to participate, and this statement only proves that.
