Pakistan Selector Aqib Javed has defended the state of Pakistan cricket following the team’s disappointing exit from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, saying the situation is dire but not catastrophic for the country’s cricketing future.Despite winning their last Super Eight match, Pakistan failed to reach the semi-finals of the tournament, eventually being eliminated due to a lower run rate than the other teams in the group.
Of Pakistan T20 World Cup 2026 campaign
Pakistan’s campaign throughout the tournament had many ups and downs. Early defeats in the competition put them under pressure, including a heavy 61-run loss to arch-rivals India, which significantly hurt their net run rate and complicated their qualification prospects.By the time the Super Eight phase began, Pakistan needed convincing victories to stay in contention. In their last match against Sri Lanka, Pakistan managed to secure a narrow win but failed to achieve the big margin needed to overtake New Zealand on net run rate. As a result, England and New Zealand qualified from the group to the semi-finals, while Pakistan were eliminated despite a late win.
Aqib Javed’s reaction after elimination
Addressing a press conference after Pakistan’s exit, Aqib Javed admitted that the team’s failure to reach the semi-finals was a cause for concern but insisted that it should not be seen as the complete demise of Pakistan cricket.“It is a big problem but not so big that it destroys our cricket, Pakistan got out because of net run rate, the team was capable of playing T20 World Cup semi-final.” Aqib said.Responsibility and future perspectiveBefore the start of the tournament, Aqib had said that he would take responsibility if Pakistan failed to perform well in the event. After being dismissed early, he reiterated that the team management and selectors will review the campaign and learn from mistakes.
