Pakistan to Seek Government Guidance on Potential India Clash in T20 World Cup Knockouts

Pakistan will consult its government if the national team reaches the knockout stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and is scheduled to face arch-rivals India, captain Salman Agha said on Thursday.The tournament has been overshadowed by political tensions after Bangladesh were excluded and Pakistan refused to play co-hosts India in their Group A fixture. Despite the standoff, a potential semi-final or final encounter between the two South Asian neighbours remains possible.Addressing reporters in Colombo, Agha said the decision regarding any future match against India would rest with the government.“The India game is not in our control. It was the government’s decision. If we have to play them in the semi-final or the final, we will go back to them and act on their advice,” he said.Bangladesh were removed from the competition after refusing to travel to India over security concerns and were replaced by Scotland following an ICC decision. Pakistan had supported Bangladesh’s request to shift their matches to Sri Lanka.The Islamabad government permitted Pakistan’s participation in the tournament but instructed the team not to play the high-profile group match against India on February 15.“It’s sad Bangladesh are not here. They have a very good side. Hopefully, they will support us,” Agha added.Pakistan and India have not played bilateral cricket for more than a decade and only meet during multinational tournaments. Pakistan are placed in a group alongside Namibia, the Netherlands and the United States.“We’re excited to play in this tournament. We lost to the USA in the last World Cup and we are determined to put that disappointment behind us,” Agha said.Pakistan will forfeit two points for the abandoned India match and suffer a significant blow to their net run rate, leaving little room for error in the group stage.“We know the margin for error is small, but we can’t control the weather. We are here to play good cricket,” he said.The 2009 champions enter the tournament in strong form after a 3-0 home series whitewash of Australia.“We haven’t lost a series since the Asia Cup last year. Everything is coming along nicely,” Agha said.All of Pakistan’s matches will be played in Sri Lanka, a venue familiar to the squad.“Very happy to play in Sri Lanka. We know the conditions and get a lot of support here,” he added.