Pakistan‘s journey in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 has taken a dramatic downturn, and former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has added fuel to the conversation. After Pakistan’s narrow defeat to England, their hopes of reaching the semifinals have been reduced to a mathematical miracle. Pathan did not hold back, taking aim at sections of Pakistan’s media, accusing them of piling unnecessary pressure on their own players.
With just one point from their first two matches — a rain-abandoned opener against New Zealand and a heartbreaking loss to England — Pakistan now find themselves relying heavily on other results and favourable circumstances to stay alive in the tournament.
Taking to social media platform X, Pathan criticised what he termed as ‘troll media,’ suggesting that constant scrutiny and negativity have hurt Pakistan’s ability to perform under pressure.
According to Pathan, the same voices that mock India after rare defeats often go silent when Pakistan stumble. He emphasized that this double standard creates a toxic environment for players who are already dealing with the intense expectations of a global tournament.
His comments have sparked widespread debate among fans across both nations, with many agreeing that excessive criticism and sensationalism can weigh heavily on athletes during high-stakes competitions.
“This Pakistan’s team doesn’t handle pressure well. Pakistan struggles have a lot to do with their own troll media as well. They don’t genuinely support the team,they constantly put them under tremendous pressure. It’s all about “reach” for them. They flood Indian social media timeline when India loses (which is rare), but disappear like mice when their own team loses. N here we don’t even care when they don’t play us. Unless we are working on that particular game,” wrote Pathan on X.
This Pakistan’s team doesn’t handle pressure well. Pakstan struggles have a lot to do with their own troll media as well. They don’t genuinely support the team,they constantly put them under tremendous pressure. It’s all about “reach” for them.
They flood Indian social media…
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) February 24, 2026
Pakistan’s campaign hanging by a thread
Pakistan’s path to the semifinals is now extremely complicated. Even if they win their final group-stage match against Sri Lanka, they can reach a maximum of three points. Meanwhile, England have already confirmed their semifinal berth with four points.
The remaining qualification battle appears to be between New Zealand and Sri Lanka, both of whom still have two games in hand. For Pakistan, it is no longer just about winning — it is about hoping other results fall perfectly into place.
Such scenarios are never comfortable for teams. Instead of controlling their destiny, Pakistan now wait anxiously on outcomes beyond their influence.
