Saqlain Mushtaq sparks debate with comments on ICC being biased towards 'India'

Pakistan's former cricketer Saqlain Mushtaq takes a dig at India and the International Cricket Council (ICC) ahead of the upcoming clash between the arch-rivals. On February 15, India will meet Pakistan in the group stage of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 at the R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo. 

While having a conversation on the Game On Hai show, the host asked the former cricketer about how the pitches are going to be in Colombo and whether Pakistan should go with an extra pace option against India. 

"What do you think? Will there be a big difference between SSC's pitch and Pramadasa's pitch? Will Pakistan go with the same bowling combination? Or do you think that you have one pacer, like we have here. we can take one more, Shaheen, Naseem or Salman?" said the host during the show.

Mushtaq's reply came as a surprise to all the viewers who had watched the former player represent his country for a long time. Despite playing international cricket, understanding how the ICC works, and pitches work, the former player went on to claim that the ICC is 'influenced' by India. On a TV show, he promptly questioned India's integrity and how the pitch can be changed as per their needs. 

"Look, the kind of technology and the kind of modern-day groundsmen. It can change. You never know. We know who the ICC is influenced by. So, who are you playing against? Who will you play against India? Like you gave Usman Tariq a match against India. At least he should have confidence. He should feel that he is part of this 11," said Saqlain Mushtaq. 

Watch the video here:

Can India and Pakistan qualify for Super 8?

India and Pakistan are placed in Group A of the T20 World Cup 2026. Currently, Pakistan are leading the table with two back-to-back wins in the tournament while India are in the second position with one win. They are scheduled to play against Namibia on February 12 in Delhi. 

Since India's NRR is better than the Men in Green, they'll jump up to the first position. If we analyse the Super 8 situation, both India and Pakistan are likely to qualify for the next round. The rest of the teams, Namibia, USA, and the Netherlands, are most likely to win one game each, which is not sufficient to qualify.

Hence, if one of the two teams, India or Pakistan, lose the game on Sunday, they will still make it to the Super 8. Fans will still eagerly anticipate the upcoming clash, especially with the recent controversies surrounding the rivals.