Salman Ali Agha hints at T20 World Cup plans after Australia win: Pakistan has been playing Australia in a three-match T20I series. They already won the series having leading 2-0. The Men in Green sealed the series on Saturday after a 90-run win against the Aussies at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. It marked Pakistan’s first T20I series win over Australia since 2018. This will surely boost the team’s confidence ahead of the T20 World Cup.
With the 2026 T20 World Cup near the corner, there are continued delays in the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) official announcement to feature in the major event, which is scheduled in India and Sri Lanka. Amidst all the controversies, Pakistan’s captain, Salman Ali Agha, hinted at their participation in the major ICC event after clinching the home series against Australia on the weekend.
Salman Ali Agha shines for Pakistan on Saturday
Salman Ali Agha, who was the side’s highest scorer on Saturday, took matters into his own hands and played with a blistering pace, scoring a 40-ball 76. This helped his side to post a total of 198/5. Despite being a dead rubber, the team would approach the third and final match of the series on Sunday with the same winning mindset and try clean sweep the Aussies. The match is scheduled in Lahore only.
Previously, during the coin toss, Agha was asked by the presenter if the pitches in Lahore in the ongoing T20I series are kind of similar pitches to what they will get in Sri Lanka, and it will help them. “These kind of pitches we’re going to get when we go to Sri Lanka,” he said.
‘Go to the World Cup with the same energy’- Salman Ali Agha
In the post-match, Salman Ali Agha brought in a reference to the World Cup, saying that the side is keen to carry their winning momentum into the major tournament. He said, “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.”
The comments have definitely created a stir in the cricketing fraternity, as Agha’s statement comes a day after new controversies erupted over PCB’s continued delay in making its World Cup stance official. As per reports from Revsportz, the message, sent by the team’s media manager, was deleted shortly afterwards. PCB is reported to make the final announcement on Monday about their participation in the T20 World Cup.
Also Read: Babar Azam buried by Salman Ali Agha: ‘I’ll bat at No.3 because I can dominate’
Who will replace Pakistan if they don’t participate?
Pakistan, which was backing Bangladesh on the latter’s refusal to travel to India due to security reasons, has been nullified after Bangladesh was knocked out by the ICC and was replaced by Scotland. After fresh reports, the Bangla Tigers have been reportedly told be on standby if Pakistan opts out of the T20 World Cup.
However, despite the uncertainty surrounding the Men in Green’s participation in the World Cup, the players already booked their travel to Sri Lanka, where the team is scheduled to be based during the tournament. All eyes will be on the news coming from Pakistan on Monday. As they are grouped with India, the match is scheduled on 15th February 2026.
