Pakistan captain Salman Ali Aga has said that the selection for the T20 World Cup 2026 matches will be done on the basis of best team combination rather than reputation. The all-rounder said that if Pakistan’s experienced players like Fakhar Zaman or Babar Azam do not fit into the balance, they will be out of the team.
Pakistan has been placed in Group A along with India, Netherlands, Namibia and America. They begin their campaign against the Netherlands on February 7 at the Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo. With the match against India set to be boycotted, the Men in Green will have to win all their remaining matches.
We will not play them – Salman Ali Aga on Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman
Speaking at the press conference, Salman Ali Aga said that they will choose the best combination among the 15 players. He said that seniority will not guarantee a place, as Fakhar Zaman or Babar Azam could be dropped from the playing eleven.
Aga told reporters, “15 people have come here and whatever is the best combination, I think we will try to have only those players. If any senior player, or Fakhar or Babar does not fit in, then we will not play them. We will play only what is best for the team.”
(15 players are here, and we will try to play the combination that suits us best. If any senior player, or Fakhar or Babar, is not fit, we will not play them. We will only play those who are best for the team.)
We will make the same playing eleven – Salman Ali Aga
Salman Ali Aga said that Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam have performed consistently well for Pakistan in the last few years. However, Agha said that past performance would not guarantee selection and the final eleven would be selected based on what would benefit the team the most.
Salman said, “And Fakhar, I think, has performed a lot for Pakistan in the last 10 years, similarly Babar has also performed a lot. My full support is with those guys, but we will make the playing eleven which is better for the team.”
(Fakhar has performed very well for Pakistan in the last 10 years, and Babar has also performed well consistently. I fully support both of them, but we will select the playing eleven based on what is best for the team.)
Pakistan faces pressure amid boycott and climate concerns
Pakistan will enter the tournament under pressure. The team will not take the field against India, which could seriously damage their chances, as it will also hurt their net run rate, leaving no room for mistakes in the remaining matches.
Weather is another matter of concern for Pakistan in Colombo. Sri Lanka usually has dry periods, but last week the city has experienced heavy rainfall. Pakistan’s only warm-up match against Ireland at the Sinhalese Sports Club was washed out due to rain and there is a possibility of rain again for the 11am game on Saturday.
On the field, Pakistan as a group have shown improvement in recent months, but doubts remain. In the last T20 World Cup, the defeat to India followed by a Super Over loss to USA played a big role in their early exit. Netherlands, known for troubling strong teams, will present a challenge.
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