Pakistan will look to put the disappointment of the 2024 T20 World Cup behind them and begin preparations for the next assignment after their qualification for the 2026 T20 showpiece event was confirmed on Tuesday.
Babar Azam's team had a tournament to forget as they failed to make it out of the group phase after defeats to co-hosts USA and India.
Losing finalists to England in 2022, Pakistan's failure to qualify for the Super Eight stage also had ramifications for their next major event.
All Super Eight teams of the 2024 tournament qualified automatically for the 2026 T20 World Cup, which will be held in India and Sri Lanka. While Sri Lanka also got knocked out early, they secured their entry to the 2026 tournament by virtue of being co-hosts.
That meant that teams like USA and Afghanistan had already punched their tickets to the next World Cup, while Pakistan had to wait for the tournament to end to know their fate.
According to tournament rules, the remaining top three teams in T20 rankings outside the Super Eight teams and co-hosts would qualify automatically for the 2026 edition. That made it 12 guaranteed spots, with the remaining eight teams to be decided via regional qualifiers.
At one time, there were a small chance of Pakistan slipping down the rankings by June 30 – the cut off date – to such a level that they would be forced to play qualifiers.
But Pakistan can now breathe easily after the International Cricket Council announced the team had qualified due to their ranking (seventh place), alongside New Zealand (sixth) and Ireland (11th).
The teams that have qualified for the 2026 T20 World Cup are: India, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, West Indies, USA, Pakistan, New Zealand and Ireland.
The final eight teams for the 2026 edition will be decided by regional qualifiers. Africa, Asia and Europe have two qualification spots each, with one berth for both the Americas and East-Asia Pacific regions.
It is some much needed positive news for Pakistan cricket that has been in deep turmoil. Azam was reinstated as Pakistan T20 captain in controversial circumstances after Shaheen Afridi was removed from the post ahead of the World Cup.
Reports of unrest in the team and infighting continued throughout the T20 World Cup, with players failing to control their emotions even in public – Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf was seen fighting with fans while out on a walk in the US.
Captain Azam blamed poor batting for his team's lacklustre show, saying: "The pitches helped the fast bowlers a little but I think overall our batting did not click.
"We lost two crucial matches even when we were in charge."
All-rounder Imad Wasim has said the team needed a complete reset of their approach to white-ball cricket and Azam agreed.
"Every player has to think, because cricket has become very fast. With modern cricket, you must have game awareness," he said.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
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What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
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