Politics leave Pakistan no room for error at T20 World Cup

COLOMBO: Captain Salman Agha warned Friday that his Pakistan team must bring their “A-game” to the T20 World Cup to reach the knockout stages after forfeiting their group match against India.

The tournament has been overshadowed by an acrimonious political build-up as Bangladesh were replaced by Scotland and Pakistan refused to face co-hosts India in their Group A fixture.

Pakistan will lose two points for the forfeit and also suffer a significant blow to their net run rate, leaving little margin for error.

Even one abandoned match due to bad weather could complicate their path to the next round.

Pakistan open their campaign on Saturday in Sri Lanka against the Netherlands and will also face Namibia and the United States.

“We need to be cautious and bring our A-game,” Agha told reporters, admitting Pakistan have limited experience of the Netherlands and “don’t know many” of their players.

“We intend to unleash all our spin options because we feel they are vulnerable against quality spin,” he said.

The 2009 champions will lean heavily on their explosive opening pair Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub, with Agha slated for number three.

Former skipper Babar Azam – who has struggled for form – slots in at number four.

“Babar has been working overtime on his game. He’s a key player in these conditions and can change a match in a few overs. We depend on him heavily,” Agha said.

Pakistan are on a high after a 3-0 whitewash of Australia at home.

The team will seek advice from their government if they reach the knockout phase and meet arch-rivals India.