Pakistan national team Aqib Javed (AP Photo/KM Chaudary)
Pakistan selector Aaqib Javed has defended the state of Pakistan cricket following the team’s disappointing exit from the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, stating that the situation is serious but not catastrophic for the future of cricket in the country.Pakistan failed to reach the semi-finals of the tournament despite winning their final match in the Super Eight tournament, and were ultimately eliminated due to a lower net run rate compared to the other teams in the group.
Pakistan T20 World Cup 2026 campaign
Pakistan’s campaign saw many ups and downs throughout the tournament. Early defeats in the competition put them under pressure, including a heavy 61-run loss to arch-rival India, which significantly hurt their net run rate and complicated their chances of qualifying.
By the time the Super 8 stage began, Pakistan needed convincing wins to stay in the competition. In their last match against Sri Lanka, Pakistan managed a narrow win but failed to achieve the large margin required to beat New Zealand on net run rate. As a result, England and New Zealand qualified for the semi-finals of the group, while Pakistan were eliminated despite a late win.
Aaqib Javed responded after the elimination
Speaking during a press conference after Pakistan’s exit, Aqib Javed acknowledged that the team’s failure to reach the semi-finals was a concern but insisted that it should not be seen as a complete collapse of Pakistani cricket.
“It’s a big problem, but not so big that it ruins our cricket. Pakistan were eliminated due to net run rate, and the team was capable enough to play the semi-final of the T20 World Cup.” Aqib said.Responsibility and future outlookBefore the start of the tournament, Aaqib said that he would take responsibility if Pakistan failed to perform well in the event. He confirmed after the early exit that the team management and selectors would review the campaign and learn from the mistakes.
