‘Jo Chairman Bolenge…’: Pakistan Captain Salman Agha Breaks Silence On Boycotting India

Last Updated:February 02, 2026, 00:08 IST

Pakistan Captain Salman Ali Agha trhey will follow the governement and PCB cheif Moshin Naqvi’s directives going into the the T20 World Cup.

PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi and Pakistan men’s cricket team captain Salman Ali Agha. (Picture Credit: AFP)

Pakistan Captain Salman Ali Agha broke his silence on his government’s decision to boycott the fixture against India in the T20 World Cup 2026. The Government of Pakistan on Sunday announced that they have approved Salman Ali Agha & Co to participate in the ICC event. However, the men in green will not play against India on February 15 in Colombo, the government directive added.

The development has already created quite a stir in the cricketing circles. The Pakistan skipper was asked about his reaction to the Government’s decision after Pakistan effected a clean sweep over Australia, defeating them by 111 runs in the final T20I.

Agha stated that whatever the government tells them to do, they will follow it.

“We are going to the World Cup. Humara decision nahi hai, hum kuch nahi kar sakte. Jo humari government, humare chairman humein bolenge humein wahi karna hai (The decision not to play against India isn’t ours, so we cannot do anything about it.) Whatever our government, the PCB chief tells us to do, we will do that only,” Agha told reporters.

Earlier, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as the country’s Interior Minister, had indicated that a final decision on Pakistan’s participation in the T20 World Cup would be taken by either January 30 or February 2. When no announcement was made on January 30, it was widely expected that clarity would emerge on Monday.

However, developments moved more quickly than anticipated. Naqvi held a meeting with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday evening, and around 8 PM IST, the official verdict was announced, sending ripples through the cricketing fraternity. Notably, the decision came on the same day as the third T20I between Pakistan and Australia in Lahore, adding further intrigue to the timing.

Following the confirmation, Pakistan also unveiled their official jersey for the upcoming marquee tournament. The team has been placed in Group A alongside India, Namibia, the Netherlands and the USA. With the tournament less than a week away, it remains to be seen how the ICC responds to the latest developments, which do little to present an encouraging picture on the eve of the global event.

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