Spin-heavy Pakistan hit form, but India boycott risks early T20 exit

Pakistan’s spin-heavy squad are in winning form ahead of the T20 World Cup, but a controversial decision to forfeit their marquee clash against India could still trigger another early exit.

Pakistan came close to withdrawing from the tournament in solidarity with Bangladesh, who pulled out after refusing to play in India, citing security concerns.

The Pakistan government eventually cleared the team’s participation but it barred them from facing India in Colombo in a blockbuster clash on February 15.

With two points for a win, a forfeit of the match will leave Pakistan with no margin for error if they are to progress as one of the top two from a five-team Group A.

It means they must win their opening game against the Netherlands in Colombo on Saturday and beat the United States three days later to stay in contention.

Their final group game will be against Namibia on February 18.

Captain Salman Agha said the move to boycott the India game was out of the team’s hands.

“That is not our decision. We have to follow what our government decides,” he said.

The sport’s global organizers has urged the Pakistan Cricket Board to “explore a mutually acceptable resolution” which “protects the interests of all stakeholders.”

There’s a chance the countries might face off in the semi-finals or final, but its unclear whether the cricketers will be asked to extend the boycott into the playoffs.

The Pakistan government has not said what their stance might be if the team were to end up facing India again in the semi-finals or final. Agha was not thinking about that.

“Our job is to win, and we are capable of doing that,” he said.

Pakistan will be keen to avoid a repeat of the last T20 World Cup in 2024, where a shock super over defeat to co-hosts the United States led to them failing to get out of the group.

The side has since faced criticism for failing to adapt to the modern demands of T20 cricket, with the batting, particularly Babar Azam’s low strike rate, under scrutiny.

The criticism was fuelled by Pakistan’s record last year, where 21 of their 34 T20 international wins came against lower-ranked opponents.

Confidence restored: Against elite teams, the results were sobering: three losses to India in the Asia Cup and a 4-1 series defeat to New Zealand.

However, Agha believes recent performances have restored confidence. Pakistan beat South Africa 2-1, won a home tri-series, and then completed a 3-0 sweep of an under-strength Australia.

“We’ve had good preparation by beating Australia. We have the luxury of quality spinning all-rounders like Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan and Saim Ayub.

“We’re ticking most boxes and believe we can win the World Cup,” Agha said.

The spin department has been strengthened by Abrar Ahmed and Usman Tariq, the latter known for his unusual, slingy action and exaggerated pause at the crease. The pace attack is led by the experienced Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah.

Faheem Ashraf provides seam-bowling all-round support and newcomer Salman Mirza has been impressive. Batting remains Pakistan’s most volatile component.

When openers Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan provide strong starts, the side can post competitive totals, but collapses remain a constant threat.

Head coach Mike Hesson has added another layer of risk by leaving out experienced wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan because of poor form, opting instead for makeshift options in Usman Khan, Khawaja Nafay and Farhan.

For Pakistan, the ingredients for a deep run are present, but with points potentially forfeited, there is little room left for error.

Agencies