Amid continued delays in the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) official announcement on participation in the upcoming T20 World Cup, captain Salman Ali Agha subtly hinted at the team’s stance on preparations for the ICC tournament after clinching the home series against Australia on Saturday.
Ahead of the T20 World Cup, scheduled to begin on February 7, Pakistan hosted Australia for a three-match T20I series and sealed it by winning the first two matches, including a dominant 90-run victory in Lahore. It marked Pakistan’s first T20I series win over Australia since 2018.
After the win, Agha, who set the tone for Pakistan’s highest-ever T20I total of 198 for five with a blistering 40-ball 76, said the team would approach the series finale on Sunday with the same mindset, despite already securing the rubber. In doing so, he made a pointed reference to the World Cup, indicating that the side is keen to carry its momentum into the global tournament.
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“We batted well and then were outstanding with the ball. The fielding was also outstanding. We want to play in the same way, forget the 2-0 scoreline, come again with the same intensity and go to the World Cup with the same energy,” Agha said.
{{/usCountry}}“We batted well and then were outstanding with the ball. The fielding was also outstanding. We want to play in the same way, forget the 2-0 scoreline, come again with the same intensity and go to the World Cup with the same energy,” Agha said.
{{/usCountry}}His comments came a day after fresh chaos erupted over PCB’s continued delay in making its World Cup stance official. On Friday, a message was reportedly circulated from the Pakistan camp to players detailing their travel plans for the tournament. However, according to a report by RevSportz, the message, sent by the team’s media manager, was deleted shortly afterwards.
PCB is expected to make an official announcement on Pakistan’s participation in the T20 World Cup on Monday. Despite the uncertainty, players have reportedly already booked their travel to Sri Lanka, where the team is scheduled to be based during the tournament.