Babar returns as Pakistan name T20 World Cup squad despite tournament doubt

Al JazeeraCenterEN 3 min read 100% complete by By News AgenciesJanuary 25, 2026 at 11:32 AM

AI Summary

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Pakistan announced its squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup, scheduled to begin on February 7, despite uncertainty surrounding their participation. Babar Azam returns to the squad, while Haris Rauf and Mohammad Rizwan were dropped. The announcement comes after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman expressed doubt over the team's participation, awaiting government approval following the ICC's expulsion of Bangladesh for refusing to play in India. Pakistan is scheduled to play its World Cup matches exclusively in Sri Lanka due to political tensions with India. The Pakistani government will make the final decision on whether the team will travel to Sri Lanka.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Aaqib Javed 40% Mohsin Naqvi 40% Salman Ali Agha 40% International Cricket Council ×250% Sri Lanka ×250% Haris Rauf 50% India ×360% Bangladesh ×360% Pakistan Cricket Board ×360% ICC T20 World Cup 2026 ×370% Pakistan ×780% Babar Azam ×390%

Keywords

t20 world cup 100% pakistan 90% squad 80% babar azam 70% participation doubt 70% bangladesh 60% icc 60% sri lanka 50% cricket 50% team selection 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.20

Source Transparency

Source

Al Jazeera

Political Lean

Center (0.00)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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t20 world cup pakistan squad babar azam participation doubt bangladesh icc sri lanka cricket team selection

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