T20 World Cup – Pakistan captain Salman Agha confident of ‘exciting’ matches in Colombo

Ravi Singh

4 hours ago

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“There are three other games. The fans can come and watch those. I’m sure it will be exciting. Don’t worry (grins).”

Pakistan captain Salman Agha has just been asked what his message is to Sri Lankan fans who will no longer have an India vs Pakistan match to look forward to in Colombo. The lead-in to the T20 World Cup has been as burdened with political baggage as any in recent memory. And yet here is Agha (who will likely have to field more questions about the state of affairs than any of the politicians and administrators that have forged this path) reaching for a gentle, good-natured quip.

Later in the press conference, he made an effort to endear himself to the locals. “Sri Lanka is like a second home for me,” he said. “I have played here so many times, and I have toured here five or six times now.

“And the people here are very good and are very nice here. Whenever we come we have so much support here. We love playing in Sri Lanka and we’re very excited this time around as well.”

Since Pakistan have decided not to play against India, their remaining three games in Group A are against Netherlands (February 7), USA (February 10) and Namibia (February 18), all in Colombo.

Agha is among the most laidback captains at the event, but if he is cutting an especially relaxed figure in Colombo, it is because there has always been plenty of love for Pakistan teams on the island. Sri Lanka, for the record, is one of the only South Asian countries that has no beef with any of its neighbours right now, its economy too fragile to risk poking any bears. The other South Asian states had also provided substantial aid to Sri Lanka in the wake of the devastating Cyclone Ditwah in December, so there is truckloads of goodwill to go around.

But the friendly cricketing relations between Pakistan and Sri Lanka have often stood out as an exception in the region, and as it has gone on uninterrupted for three decades now, there can be some confidence it will continue through the course of this World Cup. There is no doubt there will be Sri Lankan fans wearing Pakistan jerseys in the stands.

On top of which Pakistan have tended to win on the island. In 13 completed T20Is here, Pakistan have won nine and lost four. Agha is aware though, that his team hasn’t run so hot at the last three global events (they had crashed out at the first stage in the 2023 ODI and 2024 T20 World Cup, as well as last year’s Champions Trophy), though he argues – with the evidence of recent form – that it will be different this time.

“In the last three events, we couldn’t play the kind of cricket people want from us, and what we expect from ourselves. We can learn from that and we have learned from that. But we’re playing very good cricket since in the last six months. We’re ticking every box, every player knows their roles and are executing it very well. We’re very hopeful that we’ll be able to play good cricket this tournament and win this event.”

In truth, fans in Sri Lanka have bigger worries right now than the India vs Pakistan game’s cancellation. Following England’s 3-0 whitewash of the hosts just this week, videos of spectators at Pallekele (a crowd that tends to have no chill) verbally blasting the home team from beyond the boundary have gone viral. Sri Lanka’s experience of this World Cup will almost certainly be decided by their own team’s performances – if Sri Lanka start winning, expect the non-Sri Lanka matches to get more spectators as well. If they are limp from the outset, the crowds in Sri Lanka may struggle.

But a strong Pakistan campaign will serve as a sort of consolation prize, and could by itself have the potential to stir up spectator interest in the coming weeks. They’d have to get through that group stage without losing too many points to rain, however. For now, Agha is reveling in the prospect of playing a tournament in surrounds that have historically been kind.

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