Few days back, former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar had suggested that the team might have to play qualifiers to get into the main draw of the next T20 World Cup in 2026. Akhtar's remark came after Pakistan were stunned by USA in a group game of the ongoing addition. He had suggested that Pakistan must beat India to get out of the group stage, or else they could be forced to take part in the 2026 T20 World Cup qualifiers. However, Pakistan also lost to India, failing to get out of the group stage of the tournament.
Akhtar's claim, however, has been proven wrong as Pakistan's secured a direct entry for the tournament in 2026, set to be joint-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
How Pakistan qualified T20 World Cup 2026?
As per ICC rules, 12 out of the 20 participating teams will gain automatic entry for the event in 2026. While India and Sri Lanka got direct entry as co-hosts, teams who have qualified for the Super 8 stage in the ongoing edition have also managed to secure their respective berths.
India, Sri Lanka, Australia, England, West Indies, Afghanistan, South Africa, Bangladesh and USA have already secured direct qualification for the group stage.
In addition, the three remaining automatic slots have been on the basis of the ICC Men's T20I rankings as of June 30, 2024.
As a result, New Zealand, Ireland, and most importantly Pakistan have also qualified for the event.
The remaining eight slots will be determined through regional qualifiers.
Meanwhile, the Super 8 stage of the ongoing edition will kick off from Wednesday, June 19.
The top two teams from the groups will advance to the semi-finals of the tournament.
Here's how the two Super 8 groups look like:
Group 1: India (A1), Australia (B2), Afghanistan (C1) and Bangladesh (D2)
Group 2: England (B1), USA (A2), West Indies (C2), South Africa (D1)