WEB DESK: Pakistan has secured a berth in the 2026 T20 World Cup despite a lackluster performance in the 2024 tournament, announced the International Cricket Council (ICC) today.
Having clinched the championship in 2009 and finishing as runners-up in 2007 and 2022, Pakistan’s hopes were dashed early in the 2024 edition after consecutive losses in their initial matches, both from promising positions.
Their campaign began with a dramatic super-over defeat against the United States, followed by a narrow six-run loss to arch-rivals India, failing to chase down a modest 120-run target.
Following these defeats, a rain-affected match between Ireland and the United States indirectly sealed Pakistan’s fate, marking their first elimination in the group stages of a T20 World Cup.
Amid speculations of internal rifts within the team, the Pakistan Cricket Board vowed substantial changes following their premature exit from the tournament last week.
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Looking ahead, the ICC has announced the qualification criteria for the next edition, confirming Sri Lanka and India as the first two qualifiers for 2026.
“The next 10 spots were determined by the Super Eight qualifiers at the 2024 tournament and the ICC Men’s T20I Team Rankings as of the 30th of June,” stated the ICC.
Alongside Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, and the West Indies, the United States secured their positions due to strong performances in the initial rounds leading to the Super Eights.
“Despite missing out on the Super Eights, Babar Azam’s squad secured their berth in the next edition based on their T20I ranking (7th), alongside New Zealand (6th) and Ireland (11th),” the ICC further elaborated on the qualified teams.
The ICC also confirmed that the final eight spots for the 2026 tournament will be decided through regional qualifiers, with specific allocation per region to be determined in due course.
