The Pakistan males’s cricket staff reached Colombo on Monday to participate within the ICC Males’s T20 World Cup 2026, which shall be co-hosted by Sri Lanka and India from February 7 to March 8.
The 15-member squad is led by captain Salman Ali Agha and additional contains star gamers Babar Azam, Abrar Ahmed, Fakhar Zaman, Faheem Ashraf, Khawaja Muhammad Nafay, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan and Usman Tariq.
Upon arrival in Sri Lanka, the staff will relaxation at the moment and tomorrow earlier than their warm-up fixture in opposition to Eire on February 4 on the Sinhalese Sports activities Membership Floor right here.
The venue may also host Pakistan’s group-stage matches in opposition to the Netherlands on February 7, america of America (USA) on February 10 and Namibia on February 18.
Below the Worldwide Cricket Council’s (ICC) ‘Fusion Components’, Pakistan will play all their matches in Sri Lanka. This association has been made to stop Pakistan and India from touring one another throughout world occasions, with each groups as a substitute competing at impartial venues.
Ought to Pakistan progress to the semi-finals and ultimate, the knockout matches shall be held in Colombo; in any other case, the semi-finals and ultimate will happen in Kolkata and Ahmedabad, respectively.
On Sunday, the Authorities of Pakistan confirmed that the nationwide males’s staff would take part within the T20 World Cup 2026 however won’t play their group-stage match in opposition to arch-rivals India, scheduled for February 15.
The choice is seen as a transfer to use monetary stress on the ICC, which was criticised by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi final week for alleged “double requirements” and working below the affect of the Board of Management for Cricket in India (BCCI).
The announcement adopted an important assembly between PM Shehbaz Sharif and Naqvi.
Pakistan had reconsidered their participation within the 20-team match after the ICC changed Bangladesh with Scotland following the previous’s refusal to tour India.
