New Delhi: Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha said at the captain’s meeting in Colombo ahead of the T20 World Cup that it was entirely the Pakistan government’s decision not to play against India.“The India game is out of our control. It is the government’s decision and we will respect it. Whatever they say, we will do it,” Agha told reporters in Colombo on Thursday. “And we have three more games, so I’m really looking forward to it.”

The 32-year-old said the reason behind Pakistan’s decision not to play India was what happened in Bangladesh.Push boundaries with your YouTube channel. Subscribe now!“They are our brothers and I think they will support us in the tournament. It’s really sad to see them miss the World Cup. We hope that you will continue to support us during the tournament,” he said.Pakistan’s government announced on Sunday that its men’s cricket team will not play in the Feb. 15 match against arch-rivals India, without giving a reason for the decision.“The Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan approves the Pakistan Cricket Team to participate in the ICC World T202026. However, the Pakistan Cricket Team will not participate in the match against India scheduled for February 15,” the Pakistan government said in a post on X.Agha also deflected a question when coaxed about what he would do if Pakistan faced India in the semi-finals.“We have no control over the Indian game. It is a government decision and if we have to play India in the semi-final or final, we have to go back to them and act on their advice,” he said.Regarding fans not being able to watch the India-Pakistan match, Salman said with a laugh, “There are three other matches that fans can come and watch.”Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also commented on the decision, calling the government’s move to boycott the February 15 match against India “appropriate”.“We have taken a clear stand regarding the T20 World Cup that there should be no matches against India as there should be no politics in the field of sports,” Sharif told ministers on Wednesday.Sharif further stressed that Pakistan should support Bangladesh after the International Cricket Council (ICC) replaced Bangladesh with Scotland following Bangladesh’s request to shift the T20 World Cup matches from India to Sri Lanka citing security concerns.“We have taken a very considered position and we should fully support Bangladesh and we think this is a very appropriate decision.”Pakistan is in Group A along with India, Namibia, the Netherlands and the United States. In 2024, Pakistan lost to India and then lost to the United States in the Super Over.However, they defeated Australia by 111 runs on Sunday and will go into the tournament having won the T20I series 3-0.“Yes, we lost to America in the last World Cup, but that’s history now. This is a new World Cup, a new team, a new combination and we are very excited about it,” Aga said.

This will be Aga’s first time leading his country at a World Cup, and the captain looked excited.“It’s my first World Cup as captain and I’m very excited. I don’t know how to express myself as captain,” he said.“People seem to put it that way, but as captain I just want to lead from the front and do everything I can for the players, bring out the best in them and give them an environment where they can play their best,” he added.Pakistan will begin their match against the Netherlands on February 7.